Chinese Actor Li Yapeng Faces Debt Crisis Amidst Transition from Entertainment Industry to Business Sector
Chinese male star Li Yapeng, who has been transitioning from the entertainment circle to the business sector for many years, is reportedly facing a debt crisis. On August 20, news emerged that his “Yanran Angel Children’s Hospital” had been seized for over 13.81 million yuan, sparking public attention and trending on Weibo.
At the age of 53, Li Yapeng married singer Faye Wong in 2005, and the following year they welcomed their daughter Li Yan. In the early years, Li Yapeng revealed online that his daughter was born with a cleft lip and palate, commonly known as a cleft lip. To treat his daughter, the couple spent a substantial amount to seek medical care in the United States and established the Yanran Angel Foundation to help children with similar conditions.
In June 2012, Li Yapeng and Faye Wong, along with eight other founders, established the “Yanran Angel Children’s Hospital” in Chaoyang District, Beijing. Li Yapeng is the legal representative of the hospital, with a registered capital of about 10 million yuan, offering services in pediatrics, pediatric gastroenterology, pediatric respiratory specialties, among others. According to official information, the hospital is the first privately-owned non-profit comprehensive children’s hospital in China.
Recent findings on the Tianyancha APP show that on August 19, the “Yanran Angel Children’s Hospital” had an enforcement action amounting to 13.81 million yuan by the Beijing Chaoyang District Court. In April this year, the hospital had already been subject to an enforcement action of approximately 347,000 yuan.
On August 13, Li Yapeng shared a video on social media documenting his daughter Li Yan’s participation in the Yanran Angel Foundation event on August 8 during the summer vacation. In the photo, Li Yan, with her waist-length hair, wearing a blue t-shirt and delicate makeup, showed no sign of the cleft lip.
According to reports from mainland Chinese media, the “Yanran Angel Children’s Hospital” is currently involved in two lawsuits, one related to Minsheng (Tianjin) Investment Management Co., Ltd. The court ruling in this case indicated that the hospital was required to pay 1.55 million yuan to Minsheng (Tianjin) Investment Management Co., Ltd. Additionally, in 2023, the hospital faced an enforcement action of 1 million yuan with a freeze period of three years.
As of now, Li Yapeng has stakes in 9 associated companies, with 8 of them either operational or in a normal state.
In May this year, Li Yapeng’s real estate investment in “Lijiang Snow Mountain” faced three enforcement actions totaling over 2.44 million yuan. In early July, “Lijiang Snow Mountain” was subject to an enforcement action of 355,800 yuan and was placed under high consumption restrictions, followed by another enforcement action of 1.0225 million yuan on July 15.
Tianyancha APP data shows that the total amount involved in the consumption restriction order for “Lijiang Snow Mountain” is 2.2755 million yuan, with the total enforcement amount reaching 460 million yuan.
Established in November 2008, “Lijiang Snow Mountain” has Li Guodong as its legal representative, with a registered capital of approximately 260 million yuan, 31% of which is held by Sunshine 100 Group Limited, and Li Yapeng holding around 27.83% of the shares.
Li Yapeng’s acting career started in the 1990s, where he became a shining star with classic works such as “Love to the End” and “The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.” While people expected him to continue producing great works, his strong desire to be a businessman led to his focus shifting in that direction.
Due to failed investments leading to massive debts, Li Yapeng has faced multiple court-enforced actions and high consumption restrictions. His ex-wife Ha Jiawei announced on May 14 on social media that they had “moved out” due to their poor financial situation, relocating from a large mansion to a smaller rented house with their family.
In April 2023, Li Yapeng was compelled by the court to pay off a 40 million debt, followed by another enforcement action of 10.98 million yuan in May of the same year. To quickly repay his debts, Li Yapeng has resorted to live streaming sales. Concerns have been raised by netizens as the current market demand in China is unprecedentedly weak, and relying on selling tea through live streaming to pay off considerable debts may be insufficient.
After his divorce from Faye Wong, Li Yapeng retreated from the entertainment industry and ventured into business, from the “Cultural Academy” to the “Snow Mountain Art Town,” holding vast tea plantations, hotpot restaurants, and a Baijiu business. In his own words, he attributed his failed investments to “emotions outweighing abilities.”
Many netizens expressed their regret, stating, “If Li Yapeng focused on acting, he wouldn’t be in this situation.” and “Even if he lived a quiet life, he wouldn’t be in this predicament now.”