Who Is Chen Zhi? The Billionaire Accused of Running Global Scam Empire

Chen Zhi, a 38-year-old Chinese tycoon, was extradited to China after being arrested on January 6 as part of a joint transnational crime investigation into a massive “scam centre” network in Cambodia.

Chen was born in China's Fujian province in 1987 and later became a Cambodian citizen in 2014, though China still considers him a Chinese national. He is also reported to hold passports from Saint Lucia, Vanuatu and Cyprus.

After starting his career by setting up gaming centres in Fuzhou, Chen moved into Cambodian real estate in 2011 and went on to found Prince Holding Group in 2015, a conglomerate spanning entertainment, finance, real estate, and tourism.

Chen became politically influential in Cambodia, serving as an adviser to former leader Hun Sen and current Prime Minister Hun Manet. For his financial contributions to the state, he was granted the honorary title of "Oknha," roughly equivalent to a lord.

The National Bank of Cambodia ordered the liquidation of Prince Bank, which Chen founded. Chen's Cambodian nationality was revoked by royal decree last month. It remains unclear what charges Chen will face in China. The Chinese foreign ministry said authorities were collaborating to combat cross-border telecom fraud scams.