China Executes Former Executive for Murder of Gaming Billionaire Lin Qi

Chinese authorities have executed Xu Yao for the 2020 murder of gaming billionaire Lin Qi, founder of Yoozoo Games. Xu poisoned Lin after a business dispute and was convicted in 2024. Lin, who helped secure rights to the 3 Body Problem franchise, died at age 39. His company said the execution means “justice has ultimately been served.”

Chinese authorities have executed Xu Yao, the former business executive convicted of murdering billionaire gaming entrepreneur Lin Qi, closing a case that stunned China’s technology, entertainment and gaming sectors and attracted international attention because of its connection to the globally successful science-fiction franchise The Three-Body Problem.
According to Chinese media reports, Xu was executed on May 21 after exhausting the country’s legal appeals process. News of the execution was later confirmed by Lin’s company, which released a statement expressing gratitude that the judicial proceedings had reached their conclusion.
The company said that justice had finally been delivered for its founder and extended sympathy to his relatives.
“We deeply mourn Mr. Lin and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family,” the statement said. “As colleagues who fought alongside him, all members of the company are grateful for the impartiality of the judicial process.”
Lin Qi was one of China’s most successful gaming entrepreneurs and the founder of Yoozoo Games, a Shanghai-based company known internationally for developing and publishing online games. Under his leadership, the company expanded rapidly and gained global recognition through several successful titles, including the strategy game Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming, which was based on the popular fantasy television series.
Beyond gaming, Lin invested heavily in film and television projects. One of his most ambitious ventures involved acquiring adaptation rights to Remembrance of Earth's Past, the acclaimed science-fiction trilogy written by Liu Cixin. The trilogy includes the novel The Three-Body Problem, which became an international bestseller and is widely regarded as one of the most influential science-fiction works of the 21st century.
To oversee development of projects connected to the franchise, Lin established a subsidiary known as Three-Body Universe. In 2018, he appointed Xu Yao to lead the company and manage the commercial expansion of the intellectual property across film, television, gaming and other media sectors.
Initially, the partnership appeared promising. Xu played a significant role in helping secure major business opportunities related to the franchise, including efforts that ultimately contributed to a deal with netflix.com⁠� for an international adaptation. However, according to Chinese media and court documents, tensions gradually emerged between the two executives over management decisions and corporate control.
Reports indicate that relations deteriorated sharply in 2020 when Lin decided to transfer some operational responsibilities to other executives, effectively reducing Xu’s influence within the organisation. Prosecutors later argued that Xu became increasingly resentful and began planning revenge against his employer.
Investigators said Xu established what amounted to a private laboratory and experimented with various toxic substances. Court records described an elaborate and carefully planned scheme in which poisonous compounds were disguised as health supplements and probiotic pills.
According to prosecutors, Xu eventually provided the poisoned substances to Lin, who unknowingly consumed them.
In December 2020, Lin suddenly became ill and sought medical treatment after experiencing severe symptoms. His condition rapidly worsened, and despite intensive care, he died nine days later at the age of 39.
The death shocked both the business world and the wider Chinese public. At the time, Lin was considered one of the country’s most successful self-made entrepreneurs. According to the Hurun China Rich List, his personal fortune was estimated at approximately 6.8 billion yuan, equivalent to around $941 million.
Following Lin’s hospitalisation, police launched an urgent investigation and quickly identified Xu as a suspect. He was arrested only days after Lin was admitted to hospital.
Authorities later revealed that Lin was not the only target of Xu’s poisoning activities. Several other individuals reportedly became ill after being exposed to toxic substances connected to the same scheme. While they survived, investigators concluded that Xu’s actions had endangered multiple lives.
The case proceeded through China’s judicial system over several years. In 2024, Xu was formally convicted of murder and other related offences. The court described his actions as “extremely despicable,” highlighting the extensive planning involved and the betrayal of trust between colleagues.
Judges concluded that the crime had been committed deliberately and with clear intent, making it one of the most notorious corporate murder cases in modern Chinese history.
Meanwhile, Lin’s legacy continued to influence the entertainment industry. The long-awaited Netflix adaptation of 3 Body Problem premiered in 2024 and quickly became one of the streaming platform’s most watched programmes worldwide. The series introduced millions of viewers to the story originally created by Liu Cixin and demonstrated the global commercial potential that Lin had envisioned years earlier.
In recognition of his role in bringing the project to life, Lin received a posthumous executive producer credit on the series.
News of Xu’s execution has prompted renewed discussion in China about corporate disputes, workplace rivalries and the dangers of unchecked personal grievances. It has also brought closure to many individuals affected by the poisoning plot.
According to Chinese newspaper Economic Observer, one of the people who became ill as a result of Xu’s actions reacted to the execution by writing on social media: “Justice comes in the end, even if it’s late.”
For many observers, the conclusion of the case marks the final chapter in a tragedy that claimed the life of one of China’s most influential gaming executives and transformed a boardroom dispute into one of the country’s most shocking criminal cases.