China executes former Yoozoo Games executive for billionaire founder's murder

A former executive at Chinese gaming company Yoozoo Games has been executed after being convicted of murdering the company's billionaire founder. Xu Yao, who held a top management position, was put to death on May 21, according to reports citing Associated Press.

The conviction stemmed from the poisoning of Lin Qi, the founder and CEO of Yoozoo Games, who died in December 2020 at the age of 39. A court had sentenced Xu Yao to death in 2024 for the premeditated murder. Investigations revealed that a business conflict was the likely motive behind the crime.

Prosecutors stated that Xu Yao administered poison through Lin Qi's food and drinks. While several other individuals were also affected by the poison, they survived. Following the execution, Yoozoo Games issued a statement declaring that "justice has prevailed."

Xu Yao was involved in Yoozoo Games' film production division and contributed to the adaptation of Liu Cixin's novel "The Three-Body Problem." A Netflix series based on the novel was released in 2024, with Lin Qi credited posthumously as an executive producer.