Self-exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui, also known as Miles Guo, Miles Kwok, “Brother Seven,” and Ho Wan Kwok, has been convicted by a US court on nine criminal counts, including racketeering, fraud, and money laundering. Guo, a critic of the Chinese Communist Party and an associate of former White House Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon, allegedly stole hundreds of millions of dollars from online followers.
Prosecutors accused Guo of raising more than $1 billion from his followers through investment and cryptocurrency schemes between 2018 and 2023. Guo’s lavish lifestyle, which included a 50,000-square-foot mansion, a $1 million Lamborghini, and a $37 million yacht, was allegedly funded by the stolen money. US Attorney in Manhattan, Damian Williams, stated that thousands of Guo’s online followers were victimized to enable his life of excess.
Guo’s political activism, anti-Chinese Communist Party stance, and connections to prominent right-wing US politicians granted him a large online following, consisting mainly of Chinese individuals residing in Western countries. Despite efforts by Guo’s lawyers to argue that their client was motivated by political opposition rather than money, the jury found him guilty. Guo’s sentencing is scheduled for November 19 and could result in decades of imprisonment.