Xi's Purge of Zhaowei: 400 Lawsuits Pending & The Marriage That Destroyed Her Life

Zhao Wei was once a superstar in China, known as the female Warren Buffett, thanks to her $1 billion fortune. But in 2021, her career suddenly ended when she was blacklisted. She disappeared from public life, her name was removed from movies, and she stopped attending media events entirely. Then, in early 2024, Zhao Wei made a surprising return, appearing in a cheerful, candid photo. However, fans noticed something strange. For the past three years, she and her husband, Huang Youlong, hadn't been seen together or interacted online. Rumors started flying that they had divorced, especially after she deleted all photos of him from her social media. It's believed that Huang Youlong played a major role in getting Zhao Wei involved in political issues, which eventually led to her downfall. So how did her husband's influence lead to such a dramatic turn in her life? Stick around to find out. And if you're enjoying this video, don't forget to give it a like. Thank you. The Mysterious Background of Huang Youlong Huang Youlong was born in Shidianqiao Town, Xiaodong County, Hunan Province, to a poor farming family. He attended a small primary school called Longtang in Hunan, but little is known about his education after that. Before marrying Zhao Wei, Huang Youlong was virtually unknown. It was only after their marriage that details about him emerged, and he was labeled as a wealthy Singaporean businessman. However, how he built his fortune remains unclear. Some say Huang made his first fortune in the cement business. Others believe he worked as a driver and assistant for Xu Zhongheng, a former mayor of Shenzhen involved in one of China's largest corruption scandals. Xu was sentenced to death with reprieve in 2011 for accepting bribes. Known as the Subway Mayor, Xu led massive infrastructure projects, including Shenzhen's subway, but embezzled over 20 billion yuan, approximately 2.8 billion dollars. Xu was also infamous for his lavish gifts, including 7 kilograms of gold labeled as a local specialty. He had relationships with 19 mistresses, managing them harmoniously by treating them like a business. He even held annual parties to maintain good relations among them. After Xu's arrest in 2009, only a small portion of the embezzled funds was recovered. Rumors suggest that Huang helped Xu launder money and manage his hidden assets. Some even speculate that after Xu's downfall, portions of the hidden fortune became ownerless. Who gained control of it remains a mystery. Huang has denied these allegations on his Weibo account under the username ZhuMengJia, claiming he was never anyone's driver. However, his career timeline closely aligns with Xu's rise in power. In 1993, Xu moved to Shenzhen for a minor government role. At the time, 17-year-old Huang was working as a laborer in the city, showing no signs of wealth. By 2001, when Xu became the head of Shenzhen's party organization department, 25-year-old Huang bought a 183-square meter apartment in Shenzhen for 2.34 million yuan, around $320,000. Just three months later, Huang and a fellow villager established a company in the same building. However, the company never conducted any business. Soon after, Huang sold his shares to his partner for a significant profit. Over the years, Huang repeated this pattern, starting companies and selling their shares for high prices shortly after, regardless of whether the companies were operational or profitable. This led to suspicions of money laundering, with buyers seemingly paying for connections rather than the businesses themselves. By 2008, at just 32 years old, Huang was a billionaire with an estimated fortune of over 1 billion yuan, around $140 million. When Huang married Zhao Wei, journalists estimated his net worth at 400 million yuan, approximately $56 million. Despite his success, the mystery of how he amassed his wealth continues to raise questions. What do you think about Huang Yulong's rapid rise to wealth? Could his success have been entirely legitimate, or do you believe there's more to the story than meets the eye? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Immense Power, Backed by Industry Titans In Chinese entertainment, Zhao Wei is a powerhouse, known for her immense influence despite her low profile. Her power is bolstered by strong ties to influential figures. Besides her wealthy husband, her brother Zhao Jian ranks among the richest entrepreneurs in Anhui province. Zhao Jian owns 32 million shares, 8.01%, in Tangde film and television, valued at 880 million yuan, over $120 million. He has also diversified his investments into luxury car showrooms. Meanwhile, Zhao Wei's mother manages a film production company with capital in the hundreds of millions of yuan. Zhao Wei's connections extend to two of China's wealthiest billionaires, Alibaba's Jack Ma and Wanda Group's Wang Jianlin. Both have praised her publicly, and Zhao Wei and her husband enjoy a particularly close relationship with Jack Ma. He is widely believed to have played a significant role in advancing Zhao Wei's career. When Jack Ma expanded Alibaba into the film industry by launching Alibaba Pictures, he reportedly enlisted Zhao Wei's support. She invested $400 million to acquire a 9.2% stake, becoming the company's second-largest shareholder. Zhao Wei is equally influential in the entertainment industry. After her breakout role in My Fair Princess, she joined the elite Beijing Circle, Jingquan, a network of powerful entrepreneurs and acclaimed directors such as Chen Kaijie and Zheng Xiaolong. Members of this circle dominate the entertainment industry, with Zhao Wei, Zhou Shen, and Chen Kun among its most prominent figures. Producers keen to cast Zhao Wei must pay a premium. For example, she earned 40 million yuan, around $5.6 million, for her role in the drama Tiger Mom. For film roles, her starting fee is reportedly 15 million yuan, approximately $2.1 million. Zhao Wei's influence also extends into politics. She maintains close ties with Wang Lin, an advisor to Zhang Zemin, and Zheng Qinghuai, the brother of Zheng Qinghong. Both wield significant power in shaping the entertainment landscape across mainland China and Hong Kong. Four consecutive years of wrongdoing. After the birth of their child, Zhao Wei and her husband, Huang Yulong, began building a financial empire known as the Longwei Media. The couple invested in China's industry, purchased four vineyards in France, and registered dozens of companies in tax havens like Hong Kong, Singapore, the Cayman Islands, and the British Virgin Islands. Investigations revealed that Huang Yulong alone registered 27 companies in Hong Kong, often with simplistic and uninspired names. These companies were categorized into groups such as Yintu Group, Great Desert Group, and Belt and Road. Meanwhile, at least seven companies were registered under Zhao Wei's name. What these companies actually did, or how profitable they were, remains unclear. However, one thing is certain, the couple's wealth skyrocketed within just a few years. By 2018, Zhao Wei and Huang Yulong appeared on the Hurun Rich List with a combined net worth of $1 Zhao Wei also reportedly owned at least eight luxury properties in Hong Kong and Singapore, becoming a symbol of success and a role model for aspiring young women. Public opinion shifted in 2017 when it was revealed that much of their wealth was gained through fraudulent practices. They frequently used financial leverage and inflated investments to artificially boost stock prices for profit. This led to devastating losses for dozens of small investors and earned them severe penalties from China's Securities Regulatory Commission, according to Xinhua News. Zhao Wei's wine business also faced scrutiny. In 2015, she introduced wines from her company, Chateau Manlong, to the Chinese market. Despite being among the top five wine sellers in China for years, investigations by the Beijing Economic Times found no records of Chateau Manlong in Chinese or French business registries. Calls to the company's hotline were rerouted to a number unrelated to Chateau Manlong, and customer service staff admitted they had no idea where the company's offices were located. Wine critic Jean-Marc Nolant raised further questions about Chateau Manlong's production. The vineyard covers just 8.5 hectares, capable of producing a maximum of 30,000 bottles per year. However, the reported annual output was 500,000 bottles, leaving 470,000 bottles unaccounted for. Zhao Wei declined to comment on these allegations. After facing penalties, the couple became much more private. Their company records in mainland China turned up empty, while their overseas entities were deemed uncontrollable. The last known update on their came in 2019, when Huang Yulong reportedly held $695 million, ranking 912th among China's richest. By 2020, they had fallen off the list entirely. In March 2020, Beijing Economic Times discovered that Huang and billionaire Lam Kok-tai had jointly invested $70 million into a cement production project by Mongolian Energy Company. However, follow-up investigations revealed that Mizu Mongolian, a subsidiary involved in the project and owned by Huang, had no financial records or debt reports. Instead, it owed $13.1 million to Lam Kok-tai's corporation. The mysterious disappearance of $83.1 million remains unsolved, with neither Huang nor Lam providing any explanation. The end came in 2021, when Xi Jinping's crackdown on the entertainment industry brought their wrongdoings to light. Zhao Wei's career and marriage both unraveled. Chinese media reported that Zhao and Huang divorced that year. Sohu revealed that Zhao wanted to distance herself from Huang's mounting financial troubles and debt, including 200 million yuan, around $28 million, owed to creditors. Huang Yulong's involvement in shady dealings with his cousin and connections to Southeast Asian criminal gangs further tarnished his reputation. Fearing repercussions, he reportedly fled, leaving Zhao Wei to protect her assets and hastily file for divorce. Insiders claim Zhao Wei and Huang Yulong's marriage was more of a business arrangement. Zhao was drawn to Huang's immense wealth while he leveraged her industry connections to expand his ventures. Together, they climbed to billionaire status. However, their unchecked greed ultimately led to their downfall. Their fraudulent activities left countless victims in financial ruin. In the end, Huang disappeared under a cloud of debt and lawsuits, while Zhao Wei was banned from both showbiz and business. Even today, the public hasn't forgotten the harm caused by this once-powerful couple. Their story serves as a cautionary tale about the high price of ambition without limits. What are your thoughts on the legacy of Zhao Wei and Huang Yulong? Do you think their downfall was inevitable, or could things have turned out differently? Share your opinions in the comments below.