'I'm a billionaire, you've accomplished nothing': Intern shares 'worst interview experience' with CEO of crypto firm

Peiyuan Jin, a Software Engineer intern in the United States, recently shared what he described as the 'worst interview experience' of his career with a man named Yao Meng. Jin claims Meng thoroughly humiliated him during the process. Sharing his story to raise awareness about unprofessional and demeaning interview behavior, Redditors quickly weighed in, calling the CEO 'delusional.'

Yao Meng, the US-based CEO of Trade Terminal, describes himself on LinkedIn as a 'Digital Asset Prospector.'

Jin, who gave an interview for a Quant Developer Intern position, shared his experience with Meng on LinkedIn: "From the start, as I began my self-introduction, he [Yao Meng] interrupted me to mock my experience as a software engineer at John Deere, expressing disbelief that a tractor company would even need software services."

Credit: Unsplash

Jin shares that when he tried to discuss his projects, Meng kept interrupting with condescending questions and belittled him for not "thinking big."

"He repeatedly interrupted with questions like, 'Why don't you use this¡­?' or 'Why don't you use that¡­?'...He then belittled me for not 'thinking big' for the company and boasted that, as an intern, he once persuaded his manager to quit and join him in a crypto venture," added Jin.

"The interview, which lasted only 7 minutes, ended with him humiliating me by saying, 'I'm a billionaire because I think big, but look at you¡ªyou've accomplished nothing.'"

Jin emphasised that no candidate should have to endure such treatment, regardless of their background: "Interviews should be a respectful and constructive dialogue, where both parties can engage meaningfully. I hope that by sharing this, others feel empowered to speak up about their experiences and that companies take responsibility to ensure their interview processes are fair, respectful, and professional."

In the comments, support poured in for Jin:

Credit: LinkedIn/ Peiyuan Jin

What's your opinion on this? Do you think it's acceptable for interviewers to treat candidates this way, regardless of their experience?

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