Chinese authorities have executed a man for murdering his associate, billionaire gaming tycoon Lin Qi.
In 2020, a disgruntled Xu Yao poisoned Lin for sidelining him shortly after he helped him land a Netflix deal, local media reported.
Lin’s Yoozoo Games holds the film adaptation rights for the Chinese science fiction trilogy which Netflix made into the series 3 Body Problem.
Xu was convicted in 2024 and his execution, which reportedly happened on 21 May, was confirmed on Tuesday by his company in a statement, adding “justice has ultimately been served”.
“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.”
The science fiction trilogy 3 Body Problem is based on Chinese author Liu Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past. First published in Chinese, the books have been translated into nearly 30 languages and inspired multiple adaptations.
The Netflix adaptation in 2024, quickly became one of the streaming platform’s most-watched shows. Lin was posthumously credited as one of its executive producers. BBC