Bo Guagua

Bo Guagua (born 17 December 1987) is the second son of Chinese politician Bo Xilai, and the only child of lawyer and businesswoman Gu Kailai. Bo was the first Chinese citizen to attend the Harrow School in England, and he later attended the University of Oxford and Harvard University. During his time at Oxford, he was profiled Chinese edition of Esquire, and was named one of the top 10 young Chinese in Britain. Bo is also listed as a manager of the Guagua Internet Company.

Bo's lifestyle has been a regular topic of gossip and public fascination in the media, which intensified and gained considerable international attention when his father fell from power in March 2012. Both his parents came under investigation in the alleged homicide of family friend Neil Heywood, who also reportedly mentored adolescent Bo.

Bo is often described as a "princeling," the offspring of Communist Party elite, and his lifestyle and privilege far exceed what is afforded to most Chinese citizens.

Family
Bo's father, Bo Xilai, was a high-profile Party official until his removal from office in 2012. The elder Bo had been part of the 25-member Politburo, and was widely seen as a contender to join the nine-member Politburo Standing Committee. His paternal grandfather, Bo Yibo, was a prominent revolutionary leader and one of the Eight Elders of the Communist Party of China.

Bo's mother, Gu Kailai, is a lawyer who also hailed from a prominent family. Gu’s father, Gu Jingsheng, was a Communist revolutionary. Her mother Fan Chengxiu is a descendant of the renowned Song Dynasty prime minister and poet Fan Zhongyan. In the course of her career, she was involved in several notable cases. Gu is reportedly the first Chinese lawyer to win a civil suit in the United States, and she is also the author of several books. Gu is the second wife of Bo Xilai. The two met in 1984 in Liaoning Province, where Bo was serving as Communist Party secretary for Jin county.

Biography
At the age of 12, Bo began studying in England at Papplewick School. With the help of Neil Heywood, he was then admitted to the Harrow School. Bo was the first Chinese citizen to attend the school, where he took up fencing and equestrian sports.

Bo attended Balliol College, Oxford, where he majored in politics, philosophy and economics. . Bo had an active social life and in his second year he ran for a prominent position in the student union (the campaign was ultimately unsuccessful). During his time at Oxford, Bo was featured in the Chinese edition of Esquire, and was named one of the top 10 young Chinese in Britain.

However, Bo struggled in his academic work, and was made to sit penal exams for failing to maintain his grades. According to classmates, Bo failed the exams, and was "rusticated" (suspended) for one year. Chinese diplomats sought to intervene with the school, explaining that Bo's academic probation was a source of embarrassment to his family in China, but the request to reinstate Bo was denied. The following year, Bo achieved respectable scores during his final exams, though his tutors reportedly declined to provide him with recommendations for his application to Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Nonetheless, Bo was ultimately admitted to the Masters program in public policy at the Kennedy School.

Bo was described as living a lavish lifestyle throughout his schooling: after being suspended from his Oxford dorm, Bo lived in a luxury flat at the Randolph Hotel. Disputed reports that Bo was seen driving a red Ferrari in early 2011 at the residence of U.S. ambassador Jon Huntsman, Jr. caused a considerable stir. Classmates at Harvard say they have seen Bo driving a Porsche —accounts which are confirmed by several traffic tickets. Bo organised trips to China for his classmates, and invited Jackie Chan to appear at a function at Oxford.

In a letter published in the Harvard Crimson in April 2012, Bo sought to refute rumors and speculation over his lifestyle, including saying that he had never driven a Ferrari (Bo's refutation of this claim is corroborated by accounts from other witnesses). He also asserted that his fees and living expenses at Harrow, Oxford and Harvard were "funded exclusively by two sources—scholarships earned independently, and my mother’s generosity from the savings she earned from her years as a successful lawyer and writer."

Bo's university directory page with Oxford describes him as the founder of the Guagua Internet Company (other sources, such as the New York Times, describe him as the company's manager). In his letter published in the Harvard University student paper, Bo states that he had been involved "in developing a not-for-profit social networking website in China … to assist NGOs in raising awareness of their social missions and connecting with volunteers... The project remains in the development stage and is not live."

Public image
Bo's lifestyle has been a subject of gossip and public interest, both internationally and within China. Bo's lavish lifestyle has been critically contrasted to his father's efforts to revive a "red culture" movement in Chongqing, which included the singing of revolutionary songs and promotion of Maoist slogans. The conspicuous consumption and privilege of the children of Chinese leaders, including, though not limited to, Bo Guagua, is a source of widespread resentment within China. Unlike many children of party elites who elect to maintain a low profile, Bo has been noted for cultivating an unusually public persona. When Bo Xilai was suspended from his party positions, party leaders listed the younger Bo's behavior as one of the causes.