前CEO朱一闻起诉网易云音乐，二审将于下周开庭

Core Viewpoint - The ongoing legal dispute involves Zhu Yiwen, the former CEO of NetEase Cloud Music, and Hangzhou NetEase Cloud Music Technology Co., Ltd., with the case now in the civil appeal stage at the Zhejiang High People's Court, set to be heard on January 22, 2024 [2][3]. Group 1: Company Background - Zhu Yiwen, a founding member of NetEase Cloud Music, joined NetEase in 2006 and played a key role in launching the platform in 2013, achieving a user growth rate of 36.5% in 2014, surpassing competitors like QQ Music [2]. - By July 2015, NetEase Cloud Music's user base exceeded 100 million, leading to its elevation to a first-level department within NetEase in April 2016, with Zhu Yiwen becoming CEO [2]. - Despite rapid revenue growth from 1.1 billion yuan in 2018 to 4.9 billion yuan in 2020, the company faced significant losses, with a reported loss of 3 billion yuan in 2020 [2]. Group 2: Management Changes - In late 2020, Zhu Yiwen was internally demoted, with NetEase CEO Ding Lei taking over operational control of NetEase Cloud Music, attributed to Zhu's failure to meet revenue and innovation expectations [3]. - Zhu Yiwen's departure from the company was reported in early 2023, after which he ventured into the AI+ education sector [3]. Group 3: Legal Proceedings - The current lawsuit is characterized as a "contract dispute," with Zhu Yiwen and NetEase Cloud Music Co., Ltd. as plaintiffs against Hangzhou NetEase Cloud Music [3]. - Legal experts note that while the companies are related, they operate as independent legal entities, allowing for the pursuit of claims to protect shareholder interests [4]. - The shift in roles during the appeal indicates a divergence in interests between Zhu Yiwen and NetEase Cloud Music, with the latter now seeking to assert its rights against Hangzhou NetEase [5][6]. Group 4: Financial Performance - Recent data indicates that NetEase Cloud Music has improved its profitability, reporting a revenue of 3.8 billion yuan and an adjusted net profit of 1.946 billion yuan for the first half of 2025, a 121% increase from the same period in 2024 [6]. - As of January 16, 2024, NetEase Cloud Music's stock closed at 181.5 HKD per share, with a total market capitalization of 39.5 billion HKD, reflecting a decline of 2.21% [6].