Chinese authorities have carried out the execution of a man convicted of murdering billionaire gaming tycoon Lin Qi by poisoning him in a dispute over business control. Xu Yao, a former associate at Lin's company, was put to death on May 21 after being convicted last year of the killing that shocked China's gaming industry.
The execution was confirmed Tuesday in a statement from Yoozoo Games, the Shanghai-based firm founded by Lin. The company said justice had been served in the case that began when Xu poisoned Lin in 2020 after being sidelined from projects tied to the Netflix series 3 Body Problem.
"Justice has ultimately been served," the Yoozoo statement read. "We deeply mourn Mr. Lin and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family. As colleagues who fought alongside him, all members of the company are grateful for the impartiality of the judicial process."
Lin died at age 39 in December 2020, nine days after being hospitalized following symptoms from the poisoning. At the time of his death he was listed with a net worth of around 6.8 billion yuan on the Hurun China Rich List. Police arrested Xu days after Lin fell ill, and investigators later determined that Xu had disguised lethal substances as probiotic pills.
The court described the plot as extremely despicable when it convicted Xu in 2024. Besides Lin, several other people were sickened in the poisoning scheme, according to reports. One victim posted on social media after the execution confirmation that justice comes in the end, even if it's late.
Lin had appointed Xu in 2018 to lead Three-Body Universe, a subsidiary created to handle projects connected to the science fiction franchise. The two men fell out in 2020 when Lin reassigned business operations to other executives, local media accounts said. Xu carried out the poisoning shortly afterward.
Yoozoo Games is best known for developing the strategy game Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming. Lin's company also held film adaptation rights for the Chinese science fiction trilogy Remembrance of Earth's Past by author Liu Cixin, which Netflix turned into the series 3 Body Problem. Lin received a posthumous credit as one of the executive producers on the 2024 show that quickly became one of the platform's most-watched titles.
The books in the trilogy have been translated into nearly 30 languages and inspired multiple adaptations around the world. The Netflix version drew widespread attention for its large-scale production and global cast, bringing renewed focus to the source material that Lin had championed through his business ventures.
News of Lin's death in 2020 sent ripples through the gaming sector both inside China and internationally. Colleagues described him as a prominent figure who had built Yoozoo into a major player in online strategy games. The subsequent investigation and trial kept the case in the public eye for years.
Chinese newspaper Economic Observer reported on the social media reaction from one of the other victims following Tuesday's confirmation of the execution. The post reflected a sense that the legal process had reached its conclusion after a lengthy period.
Authorities have not released further details about the method of execution or any final appeals process. The case remains one of the most closely watched criminal matters involving China's entertainment and technology sectors in recent years.
Company statements emphasized gratitude for the judicial outcome while expressing ongoing sorrow over the loss of Lin. Yoozoo employees noted that they had worked alongside him on ambitious projects that reached audiences far beyond China.
The Netflix adaptation of 3 Body Problem continued production and release after Lin's death, with his contributions acknowledged in the credits. The series success highlighted the global reach of the underlying intellectual property that had been central to the business conflict between Lin and Xu.
Local reports at the time of the poisoning indicated that Xu acted after being removed from leadership roles he had taken on following the initial Netflix deal negotiations. The conviction and execution close a chapter that began with that professional disagreement in 2020.