College Exam Social Media Influencer Zhang Xuefeng Dead at 41

Zhang Xuefeng -- the popular social media influencer from China known for his college exam content -- has died ... his company announced on social media.

Suzhou Fengxue Weilai Education Technology Co. posted the news Wednesday ... writing Xuefeng died after going into sudden cardiac arrest.

The company said ... "The passing of Mr. Zhang Xuefeng represents an immense loss to the educational community. We pledge to carry forward his legacy and continue our commitment to helping even more students realize their dreams.”

According to reports, Zhang fell ill after going for a run on Tuesday. He was rushed to a hospital in Suzhou, near Shanghai, where he died.

Xuefeng -- real name Zhang Zibiao -- rose to prominence in the mid-2010s by giving advice to students about some of China's top universities. The company he founded was an educational consultancy focused on university admissions and postgraduate exam prep.

According to The Standard -- a popular English-language publication based in Hong Kong -- Xuefeng had a total follower count of close to 60 million.

Xuefeng courted some controversy during his life ... with state-sponsored media in China slamming him for discouraging students to study journalism and less widely spoken languages.

His social media accounts were temporarily suspended last year when he offered to fund an attack by China on Taiwan.

Xuefeng was 41.