Lai Changxing

Business leader

Lai Changxing is a Chinese businessman known as the kingpin of one of China's largest economic crime cases. In 1994, he founded the Yuanhua Group, based in the Xiamen Special Economic Zone, which imported goods including cars and cigarettes and, at one point, accounted for one-sixth of China's oil imports. Through an extensive network of corrupt ties with government officials, Lai's operations allegedly evaded RMB 23 billion in customs duties. Facing an investigation, Lai fled to Canada in 1999, while many his associates were tried and executed. Following a 12-year legal battle over his extradition and diplomatic negotiations, Lai was deported to China on July 22, 2011. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012.