China Executes Man For The Murder Of Billionaire Gaming Executive Lin Qi/Image@ BBC
In a significant legal development, Chinese authorities have executed Xu Yao for the murder of billionaire gaming mogul Lin Qi.
The incident, which occurred in 2020, involved Xu poisoning Lin after feeling marginalized following Lin’s success in securing a deal with Netflix, according to local media reports.
Lin, the founder of Yoozoo Games, held the film adaptation rights for the acclaimed Chinese science fiction trilogy that Netflix transformed into the series “3 Body Problem.”
Xu was found guilty of Lin’s murder in 2024, and his execution, confirmed by a company statement on Tuesday, reportedly took place on May 21.
The statement emphasized that “justice has ultimately been served,” expressing gratitude for the fairness of the judicial proceedings.
”As colleagues who worked alongside him, all members of the company mourn Mr. Lin deeply and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family,” the statement added.
The “3 Body Problem” trilogy, authored by Liu Cixin, is part of the larger “Remembrance of Earth’s Past” series. Originally published in Chinese, the books have been translated into nearly 30 languages and have inspired various adaptations.
The Netflix version, released in 2024, quickly became one of the platform’s most popular shows, with Lin receiving posthumous credit as an executive producer.
Following Lin’s shocking death, which sent ripples through the gaming community both in China and internationally, Xu was convicted for his role in the crime. The court characterized his actions as “extremely despicable.”
Lin, who passed away at the age of 39 after being hospitalized due to illness nine days following the poisoning, was estimated to have a net worth of approximately 6.8 billion yuan (around £745 million or $941 million), according to the Hurun China Rich List.
Xu had been appointed by Lin in 2018 to lead Three-Body Universe, a subsidiary dedicated to managing projects related to the science fiction franchise.
However, tensions arose in 2020 when Lin chose to delegate business operations to other executives.
Reports indicate that Xu disguised toxic substances as probiotic pills before administering them to Lin.
Authorities apprehended Xu just days after Lin was admitted to the hospital.
In addition to Lin’s tragic demise, several others were affected by Xu’s poisoning scheme.
A victim of this plot expressed on social media, “Justice comes in the end, even if it’s late,” as news of Xu’s execution emerged.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong