Chinese billionaire Li Chunping, who inherited a massive fortune from an American female star, passed away in Beijing at the age of 76, with a net worth once reaching 26.8 billion Chinese yuan.
According to a report by “优點娛樂” (Advantage Entertainment), Li Chunping suffered from diseases such as Alzheimer’s in his later years and passed away in a Beijing hospital last month, with no friends or family by his side.
Li Chunping was born in Jiangsu in 1949 and had served in the military when he was young. Due to getting involved in fights, he was later sent to a labor camp on a farm, experiencing a low point in his life.
In his autobiography, Li Chunping mentioned that in the summer of 1978, he met an older Hollywood star in a Beijing hotel who was reminded of her first love by his appearance. The star suggested taking him to the United States to live with her. After the star passed away in 1990, Li Chunping inherited her massive fortune, reaching 26.8 billion yuan.
Upon his return to China, Li Chunping lived a luxurious life, owning a mansion of over 400 square meters and ordering three Rolls-Royce cars in one go, becoming one of the earliest Chinese billionaires to own a Rolls-Royce. He had nearly 40 staff members serving him in daily life, including a driver team of up to 9 people. Meanwhile, Li Chunping also actively donated money for charity and was dubbed as the “number one philanthropist in China.”
In 2016, Li Chunping was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, with an IQ of only 59. In 2017, it was reported that he was forced to marry a 39-year-old caregiver, Yu Qicun, and had his assets embezzled, leading to a lonely and helpless old age.
After Li Chunping’s passing, a post from the social media account “有點娛樂” (A Bit of Entertainment) also revealed that a few years ago, it was leaked that Li Chunping, suffering from dementia, had been illegally controlled by his staff, preventing his relatives from seeing him.
“有點娛樂” further mentioned, citing insider sources, that before his illness, Li Chunping had signed an agreement with his girlfriend to have her act as the guardian managing his billions of assets. However, shortly after, longtime staff members around Li Chunping colluded to control him illegally and forced him to marry an unemployed woman from Chongqing through forged documents.
Insider sources also disclosed that many years ago, Li Chunping had a son with his girlfriend Han, whom he recognized as his only child before falling ill. With Li Chunping’s sickness and being under illegal control, his son is now living far from Beijing, leading a humble life with Han’s parents.
On November 1st, internet singer Han Kaiyi released a video confirming that she is the biological mother of Li Chunping’s 10-year-old son. To prove her identity, she also shared a rare family photo.
In the video, Han Kaiyi stated that after Li Chunping was taken away, she and her son, along with two aunts, never saw him again and were unsure of his whereabouts. She demanded her son to see his father one last time and mentioned that she had entrusted a lawyer to handle all matters concerning her and her son.