Chinese authorities have executed Xu Yao for the murder of his associate, billionaire gaming tycoon Lin Qi.
Xu was convicted in 2024 after a court found he poisoned Lin in 2020 following a workplace dispute. Local reports say he had grown angry after being sidelined shortly after helping secure a Netflix deal for the company.
Lin was the founder of Yoozoo Games, known for major gaming titles and for holding film rights to the science fiction trilogy behind Netflix’s 3 Body Problem.
The Three-Body Problem was later adapted into the hit Netflix series 3 Body Problem, which became one of the platform’s most-watched shows in 2024. Lin was posthumously credited as an executive producer.
Authorities said Xu disguised poisonous substances as probiotic pills and gave them to Lin. The executive later fell ill in December 2020 and died nine days later at the age of 39.
Reports say Xu’s execution took place on 21 May and was confirmed on Tuesday by his company, which said “justice has ultimately been served.” The statement also expressed condolences to Lin’s family and praised the judicial process.
The murder shocked China’s gaming industry and international entertainment circles. Prosecutors described the crime as “extremely despicable” during the trial.
Court records show the dispute began after internal disagreements over leadership changes at Yoozoo Games and its subsidiary handling the sci-fi franchise.
Xu’s actions also reportedly sickened several other individuals who were exposed to the poison.
