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Hui Ka Yan is sentenced to life in prison for fraud and bribery following the collapse of China's Evergrande Group.

Hui Ka Yan, the founder of China's Evergrande Group, was sentenced to life in prison by the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court on August 20, 2026. The court ruled that Hui Ka Yan abused his position to orchestrate fraud and misappropriation of assets, leading to the collapse of one of China's largest real estate empires. The companies were fined a total of more than $2.3 billion for financial crimes, including inflating assets and concealing liabilities exceeding $300 billion. This sentence follows the 2020 crackdown on excessive borrowing in China's real estate sector, which triggered a downturn in the property market. The collapse of Evergrande, once a leader in contracted sales, impacted millions of investors and homebuyers. Beyond real estate, Hui Ka Yan also built a sports empire, including a football club that won multiple titles and competed against European giants. The court ordered the confiscation of Hui Ka Yan's personal property after he pleaded guilty to eight charges including fundraising fraud and bribery.

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