A recent case involving a significant compensation claim against a social media account in the automotive sector has attracted widespread attention, not only due to the substantial amount involved but also because of its alleged connection to industry rivalries.

On February 24, the legal department of Xiaomi Corp. announced that it had received a first-instance court ruling regarding its lawsuit against the social media account "AutoReport汽车产经" for infringement. The court determined that the defendant had published content with insufficient factual verification, misattributed information, and clear derogatory remarks, which infringed upon Xiaomi Corp.'s reputation rights and damaged the company's brand image. The court ordered the defendant to remove the infringing content, issue a public apology, and pay 5 million yuan in compensation to Xiaomi Corp..

Subsequently, it was discovered that the operating entity behind AutoReport汽车产经 is Beijing Yiche Interactive Advertising Co., Ltd., whose major shareholder, Beijing Yiche Technology, is ultimately controlled by NIO Inc. Chairman William Li.

On February 25, in response to the matter, a representative from NIO Inc. stated that the account in question is 100% controlled by Beijing Yiche Information Technology Co., Ltd. They clarified that William Li had transferred all his related shares in 2020 and currently has no association with the entity operating the account.

According to its funding history, Yiche has secured multiple rounds of investment from prominent capital firms, with Tencent being a core shareholder alongside other significant investors such as JD.com and Baidu.

In June 2020, Yiche completed a privatization deal valued at $1.1 billion, delisting from the New York Stock Exchange and formally integrating into Tencent's ecosystem. As part of this transaction, William Li sold his 10.9% stake and exited his position as a major shareholder.