Earlier today, I received an email with the headline (translated) “Billionaire Husband of Ha Phuong Arrested.” The husband the email referred to was Chinh Chu, billionaire executive of private equity firm Blackstone. The problem? It wasn’t him.
The email (pictured to the left) referenced a CNN Money article titled “Don Chu arrested in inside-trading probe.” Don Chu, who’s full name is Don Chin Trang Chu, was arrested for selling insider information to hedge funds. The author of the email, seeing a similar name and profession, jumped to the conclusion that it was Chinh Chu, made famous in the Vietnamese community when he appeared on Paris by Night.
Let’s get this straight: Don Chin Chu is not Chinh Chu. Their names are not even spelled the same. Secondly, the CNN article referenced is dated November 2010. This is not breaking news.
Normally, we don’t write about rumors. However, this rumor seems to have traveled a long way (and through thousands of people) to end up in my inbox. It really rubs me the wrong way. Why? It shows a complete disregard for a man’s reputation. All the author of the email had to do was read a few lines into his source article and figure out how to actually spell Chinh Chu’s name. Instead, he was lazy and over zealous, skipping his due diligence to shoot off a false rumor to potentially thousands of people.
These kind of baseless rumors and accusations happen way too often in our community. It’s poisonous. Let’s stop it from happening. The next time you see these emails in your inbox (our your mom’s inbox), be skeptical. Demand facts and check multiple sources. Question supposed “experts” or points of authority. Think: does this make common sense?
Let’s stop that rumor mill!
Email is like, the last bastion of communication that doesn’t get pulled through the trust-systems we’ve become accustomed to with social networking.
Hey, I had this email lnk sent to me today and immediately noticed the wrong spelling in his name and then the older age of Chin Chu compared to Chinh Chu. What a slandering chain mail.
His American name is Don Chu arrested then bailed out for 1 million dollar
I just received that email from my aunt today. I will definitely forward this article back to her so she can send back to her friends.
Thanks Hanna, that’s a great strategy. Reverse the rumors using the same mechanism.
cam on James Bao da dinh chinh dieu nay vi 3 ngay nay toi cu thac mac mai vi khong tin 2 vo chong Ha Phuong va Chinh Chu co the lam dieu nay trong khi ho da ton cong ton cua ve Vietnam de giup do biet bao nguoi ngheo kho!
KM
They did a fraud. by insde trading
Hi James,
My name is Tuan Le, one of the moderators of Phonang yahoogroups which distributes about 150-200 messages per day through out Vietnamese communities around the world.
There was a message related to “Chinh Chu has been arrested”. I carefully check it out via many links and sources. Your article is one of sources which I refered and used to clarify. Below is the link in our Phonang Yahoogroups.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PhoNang/message/219972.
Thank you very much.
Regards
Tuan Le
Thank you Tuan for passing on the news and reversing the rumor.
He got arrested but bailed out for one million dollars. because he inside trading
Who care… you are all moron.
chinh chu khong co ten o Forber la billionaires thi tai sao la Ty phu ?
co the giai thich khong ?
Dâu cân phai giai thich, vi Forbes dâu cân phai dang tin tât ca (Tât ca) nhung Ty phu. Khi không dang tin, thi lam sao ban co the doc duoc. Vi du : minh an trôm nhung minh không bao thi lam sao ban biet duoc minh là nguoi an trôm.
Thanks for clearing the matter. Chinh Chu is a wonderful person- who does a lot of good -he is always donating to various charities – he is a brilliant person with high moral standards with a more brilliant mind to boot
As a Vietnamese I am so thrill to know that it was a rumor. I was shock when I got the email that Ching Chu was arrested. if, it was me I would track down the person who’s spread out the rumor and sue him/her Việt Nam có câu: Một đồng danh dự