The Gen Z social media personality, who describes himself as Singapore’s “youngest millionaire”, has drawn scrutiny online for how he made his money through what he calls AI dropshipping. Recently, he’s also been spotted at Xiang Xiang Ji, a new fried chicken stall at Beauty World Food Centre, run by his aunt and uncle. The negative comments have followed him there.
Photo: Instagram/raystonheem
Who is Rayston Heem?
He is better known as Rayston Heem, a name attached to high-energy videos about making money and, earlier on, what he describes as “thirst traps” that first drew attention to his account.
“I was just posting thirst traps,” he says matter-of-factly, referring to his early dance and lip-sync clips (which has since been taken down) at 14 years old that gained traction on social media.
“Rayston Heem is purely an online persona,” he tells 8days.sg, referring to his handle derived from modern slang for “him”, a nod to being ‘the man’ or someone who is highly respected.
After being retained a year in Sec Three in Fajar Secondary School and eventually dropping out, he says he leaned further into social media. “I knew social media was the only thing I was confident in,” he adds. He has amassed 64.8K followers on Instagram, 97.8K followers on TikTok and 15.2K followers on YouTube.
He later pivoted to selling online courses on what he describes as AI dropshipping, a model that uses automation tools to run e-commerce stores.
Accused of being “hao lian”
Rayston claims he earned his first million before turning 19. That claim has been met with ridicule online. Some netizens have called him “hao lian” (Hokkien for boastful) while others have accused him of scamming or exaggerating his earnings.
For the uninitiated, AI dropshipping is a form of online retail in which sellers do not keep inventory, relying instead on third-party suppliers to fulfil orders. What distinguishes it is the use of artificial intelligence to identify trends, generate marketing and optimise sales.
Products can range widely, from apparel to household items, depending on what is trending. Rayston says he typically uses online tools to track product demand and traffic, selects an item, then uses AI to build a sales site around it before running ads to drive interest.
The model’s appeal is its speed and low operating cost. Sellers can test products rapidly and scale what works, a dynamic that has allowed some to make sizable sums in a short span of time.
Rayston says his business operates entirely online for now, with plans to expand into in-person coaching. “I started dropshipping when I was around 15,” he explains, adding that he picked up the trade through online research and YouTube before refining his approach through trial and error.
“Dropshipping isn’t a scam”
AI dropshipping draws flak largely because some sellers use AI to mass-produce fake reviews, misleading ads, and low-quality products that don’t match what’s promised.
When 8days.sg brings up some netizens’ allegations of scamming, he is quick to deny them.
“That’s not true,” he says. “Dropshipping isn’t a scam. I have case studies of how my clients have made money through the methods I’ve taught through my courses. I’ve tagged their actual Instagram accounts where naysayers can always verify with them on the success they have achieved.”
Will display tax filings publicly
But not all the responses have been negative. Among those who defended him was social influencer Jade Rasif, who commented: “At least try it before hating… like y’all are being so cruel. He’s just a teen.” Rayston says he appreciates such support.
He adds that he intends to release his tax filings publicly “before June” this year. “I want to show that I have nothing to hide and I do my taxes,” he says.
“The online hate did affect me”
The backlash, however, has not been easy to ignore. “At the start, the online hate did affect me,” he admits. “I felt down because I wasn’t scamming people. But my uncle and aunt helped me see that you can’t please everyone.”
Putting aside his showy online persona, Rayston believes it was his age and early success that have contributed to the criticism. If anything, he tells 8days.sg that the critics today have made him more determined. “When you achieve something young, it’s bound to stir reactions,” he says.
Rayston adds: “I can’t stop people from hating nor stop them from believing what they want to believe. At the end of the day, I’m not the one losing out and the people who chose to believe [in me] and take that leap of faith are the ones benefiting.”
Rayston says he reinvests most of his earnings back into the business, though his social media offers glimpses of a lavish lifestyle. In his videos, he is often seen in luxury apparel or flying overseas. In one, he gifts his grandmother a trio of miniature crystal duck collectibles alongside a stack of cash, and in another, he presents his father with a Mercedes. His most expensive personal purchase to date, he says, is a Ferrari 458 Italia.
He lives with his parents, but declines to disclose what they do for a living. On how his peers treat him, Rayston says: “My close friends still treat me as Rayston Liow, not Rayston Heam.”
Offline, he insists, he is different from the swaggering character audiences see on screen.
“In real life, I’m just a regular 19-year-old Singaporean kid from Bukit Panjang,” he insists.
Aunt & uncle want to keep him grounded via hawker venture
Despite his online visibility, Rayston is not the main operator of the Xiang Xiang Ji at Beauty World.
The fried chicken business is helmed by his aunt Cecilia Lee and uncle Alain Lee, both 43, who previously worked in oil and gas and finance industries respectively, before pivoting to F&B. Having left their corporate roles earlier on, the couple decided to turn Cecilia’s well-loved home cooking into a business, with the aim of sharing her heritage recipes with a wider audience.
The recipe, Cecilia says, traces back to her great-grandmother from Fujian.
The venture required an initial outlay of more than $50,000 to set up the stall, funded by its shareholders. The family declined to disclose the exact breakdown, but said Rayston has invested in the business and will focus primarily on marketing and branding for Xiang Xiang Ji.
“He’s good at videos. Marketing is not our strength,” says Alain, the cool uncle. The family adds that Rayston’s involvement in the business is primarily on the marketing front. He oversees an outsourced marketing team, supervises content, and occasionally taps his network of influencer friends to promote the stall. “He also oversees the tech team who builds our systems.”
The decision to involve him in the hawker venture was deliberate, with Alain saying he wanted his nephew to understand the fundamentals of running a brick and mortar business, in contrast to the less visible nature of AI dropshipping, which has drawn flak and scrutiny.
“Running a physical business is very different from running something online,” Alain, who sometimes helms the fryers in the kitchen, says. “We want to nurture him as best as we can.”
While Rayston is not hands-on in the kitchen and does not know the recipe, he says he has long been familiar with the fried chook’s flavours and now wants to spotlight them to a younger crowd. “I’ve been eating my aunt’s food since I was young, so I know it’s the real deal. I feel like more people my age should try this kind of flavour,” he says.
Tasty Singapore-style fried chicken
The stall brands itself as “Singapore fried chicken”.
According to the founders, the chook, sourced from USA and Brazil, is marinated for at least 24 hours using ginger, garlic and onions, without Western herbs like thyme or rosemary. It is double-fried fresh to order in a secret batter.
The result is a light, crisp crust that shatters delicately, revealing juicy, tender meat, with a fragrant, savoury seasoning, we suspect a touch of white pepper and five-spice warmth, though the exact mix remains under wraps. Pretty yummy.
“We are big on the gu zhao (old school) taste,” says Alain. “Our secret marination is from the 1960s.”
Prices start from $5.40 for two wings
The menu is built around combo sets such as a drumstick, wing and chicken rice (from $9.90), or three pieces of chicken wings with fries ($10.90). Each of the set meals come with a drink and a sauce to pair. A la carte offerings include two wings ($5.40), two drumsticks ($8.40) and a boneless leg ($7.20).
There’s also a house-made chilli ($1.30 for a serving or $5 for a tub) that’s thick and garlicky, with a vinegary zing. Homemade achar, named Ah Ma’s Achar ($5.00 per tub) lends a crunchy, refreshing kick to the fried chicken.
Alain says they are targeting to open another eight to 10 outlets this year, using a profit-sharing model rather than traditional franchising.
FYI: Rayston pops by the stall two to three times a week if you wanna say hi.
Xiang Xiang Ji is located at Beauty World Food Centre, #04-65, 144 Upp Bukit Timah Rd. Open Sun to Thur 11am-3.30pm & 4.30pm-8.30pm; Fri & Sat 11am-3.30pm & 4.30pm-9pm; Sun 4.30pm-8.30pm. More info via Instagram or TikTok.
Photos: Sng Ler Jun
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