Zhao Wei and Huang Youlong Have Divorced, but They Still Have Business Intersections

By Danica Leung | Spring Studio

One is a well-known star in the entertainment industry, and the other is a mysterious tycoon in the business world. The partnership between actress Zhao Wei and Huang Youlong once created a stir in the capital market. Now, with an official announcement, this controversial marriage has officially come to an end.

The public is unaware of the exact year when Zhao Wei stated that she and Huang Youlong "formally divorced many years ago." However, it seems that everything had long been foreshadowed. Spring Studio's investigation found that in 2020, Huang Youlong and Zhao Wei likely sold two luxury apartments in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. Between 2021 and 2022, Huang Youlong appointed a 24-year-old individual with the same surname to positions such as president and director of several associated companies of French wineries.

Meanwhile, as of now, the two still have business connections. The aforementioned French wineries continue to promote their association with Zhao Wei on their website. Additionally, Zhao Wei holds shares in the famous Hong Kong restaurant "Seventh Son" through a company, which the company secretary is still belong to Huang Youlong's company.

This marriage has also left behind a tangled web of business entanglements. Since 2021, there have been occasional reports of Huang Youlong facing debt collection, suggesting he may be in a debt crisis. Additionally, shares held by Zhao Wei's companies have gradually been subjected to freezing applications since 2021—one of the applicants for the freezing involved Minsheng Trust, which lent money to Huang Youlong's sister's company, relating to a guarantee contract dispute.

The business intersections between Zhao Wei and Huang Youlong

Rumors of Zhao Wei's divorce began circulating as early as July 2020. At that time, netizens noticed that all photos of Huang Youlong had been deleted from Zhao Wei's social media accounts, leading to speculation that the two had already been divorced.

In response, Zhao Wei's studio later refuted the rumors on Weibo.

Spring Studio found that, chronologically, there were indeed significant changes in the assets under the names of Zhao Wei and Huang Youlong around 2020.

Around 2020, there were indeed significant changes in the assets held by Zhao Wei and Huang Youlong.

The Westminster Terrace, located in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, is one of the most expensive luxury residential areas in the city. In 2012, Huang Youlong and Zhao Wei purchased two duplex apartments in the Westminster Terrace through two Hong Kong companies, with a total expenditure of HKD 110 million.

Among them, Rich Century International Investments Limited holds a 520-square-meter duplex apartment at 38B, while Champion Base Properties Limited owns a 280-square-meter duplex apartment at 37A.

However, it is likely that the ownership of these two duplex luxury apartments has quietly changed.

According to information from the Hong Kong Companies Registry, in August and October 2020, the directors of Champion Base and Rich Century were changed from Huang Youlong to Chow Wing Cham and Quinlivan Robert James. Public information indicates that Chow Wing Cham and Quinlivan Robert James were executives at Sun Hung Kai Co (0086.HK) at that time.

Rich Century, which holds the largest duplex apartment in the Westminster Terrace, was under Zhao Wei's directorship from June 2017 to July 2020, before the position was then transferred to Huang Youlong.

Both Champion Base and Rich Century are wholly owned by offshore companies, which obscures the visibility of any underlying equity changes. However, a lawsuit indicates that the changes in the directors of these two companies are likely related to the transfer of property ownership.

According to reports from Hong Kong media, on April 18, 2023, Huang Youlong was sued by Rich Century, the owner of Westminster Terrace, for overdue rent related to the duplex apartment at 38B and six parking spaces on the sixth floor.

Reports indicate that on August 12, 2020, Huang Youlong signed a lease agreement with the plaintiff to rent the involved unit for a two-year term, expiring on August 11, 2022. However, from May 2022 until February 20, 2023, Huang Youlong accrued approximately HKD 2.79 million in overdue rent, along with over HKD 13,000 in outstanding rates and management fees, totaling more than HKD 2.8 million. After the lease expired, the owner repeatedly requested that Huang Youlong settle the outstanding amounts, but he failed to make any payments and continued to occupy the apartment. Additionally, on February 6, Huang issued a notice stating that he would vacate the apartment and parking spaces no later than February 20, but ultimately did not fulfill this promise.

This suggests that in 2020, Huang Youlong likely sold two luxury properties at Westminster Terrace and subsequently opted for leasing instead.

Also in 2020, according to reports from Singaporean media, Huang Youlong, acting as a trustee, purchased a penthouse at Ardmore Park on Orchard Road for SGD 27.65 million (approximately RMB 138 million). It is possible that his daughter with Zhao Wei, Huang Xin (also known as Little April), is a beneficiary of the trust.

The luxury properties are not the only assets under Zhao Wei and Huang Youlong's names that have undergone changes. Four vineyards located in Bordeaux, France, were once a testament to Zhao Wei and Huang Youlong's romance and their extravagant spending during a period of wealth accumulation. However, in 2021, there were also significant changes at the corporate level regarding their investments.

Local media in France reported that in 2011, Zhao Wei and Huang Youlong invested €4 million to purchase the 8.5-hectare Château Monlot, which was said to have once belonged to King Louis XIII of France. In 2013, they acquired Château Patarabet, located at the foot of Saint-Émilion village, and Château La Vue, which spans 16 hectares. In 2015, they further expanded their collection by acquiring the 57-hectare Château Senailhac. In March 2019, the couple purchased the 12-hectare Château La Croix de la Roche.

However, by 2021 and 2022, it is likely that three of the aforementioned vineyards were transferred by Huang Youlong to a similarly named individual who was only 24 years old for "management."

However, from 2021 to 2022, it is highly likely that three of the aforementioned four wineries were handed over by Huang Youlong to a 24-year-old individual with the same surname for management.

In June 2021, the controlling companies of Château Monlot and Château La Vue changed from BORDEAUX VINEYARD & WINE INVESTMENTS to NEW STAR.

During the same period, although Château Senailhac continued to be controlled by BORDEAUX VINEYARD & WINE INVESTMENTS, Spring Studio noticed that one of the partners of the company, EVER SCORE INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED, underwent a director change in Hong Kong in 2021, with Huang Youlong being replaced by Huang Mingzheng.

As for the vineyard Château La Croix de Roche, which was acquired in 2019, it shows that Zhao Wei has consistently held the position of president.

NEW STAR was established in February 2021, and the current president is Huang Mingzheng—likely the same Huang Mingzheng who took over Huang Youlong's director position in the Hong Kong company. Information from the French company registry indicates that Huang Mingzheng was born in 2001, making him only 24 years old, and the address registered in the French company documents corresponds to the duplex residence at Westminster Terrace 38B, where Huang Youlong previously lived.

As for BORDEAUX VINEYARD & WINE INVESTMENTS, due to recent changes in the French company's registration policies, Spring Studio has not been able to obtain the latest equity structure of the company. However, it was noted that in March 2022, Huang Youlong appointed Huang Mingzheng as the president of the company. According to reports from Hong Kong media in 2022, Zhao Wei holds a 70% stake in BORDEAUX VINEYARD & WINE INVESTMENTS, while Huang Mingzheng holds a 30% stake.

The exact relationship between Huang Youlong and Huang Mingzheng, who share the same surname, is unknown. However, there have been rumors that before Zhao Wei, Huang Youlong was married once and has a son with his ex-wife, who is of a similar age to Huang Mingzheng.

As of now, the promotional website for Château Monlot still mentions Zhao Wei, claiming that the four vineyards are "under Zhao Wei's ownership." This suggests that if Huang Mingzheng is a relative of Huang Youlong, then Zhao Wei still has ties to Huang Youlong in the vineyard business.

Spring Studio has noted that in 2022, Zhao Wei's holding company transferred 95% of its shares in Mengluo (Beijing) Wine Trading Co., Ltd. to a third party. However, Zhao Wei's brother, Zhao Jian, still serves as the legal representative and a minority shareholder of Mengluo Beijing Wine Trading. Meanwhile, the Weibo account associated with Mengluo Beijing Wine Trading, "梦陇酒庄ChateauMonlot," continues to be updated and promotes "梦陇红酒" (Menglu Red Wine) to this day.

The French vineyards may not be the only current business intersection between Zhao Wei and Huang Youlong.

Founded in 2013, Seventh Son Restaurant is a renowned "rich man's canteen" in Hong Kong, created by Chui Wai Kwan after leaving Fook Lam Moon, a prestigious Cantonese restaurant. In July 2013, Zhao Wei acquired shares in the restaurant's parent company, Seventh Son Restaurant Limited, through Grandville International Limited, and has held her stake ever since.

Spring Studio has noted that Grandville International Limited is still served by Gold Fortune International Investments Limited, which is associated with Huang Youlong, as its company secretary. Meanwhile, Zhao Wei's registered address remains at Westminster Terrace 38B, which is currently being rented by Huang Youlong.

Huang Youlong Suspected of Being Caught in a Debt Crisis

Zhao Wei and Huang Youlong's marriage was once seen as a "strong alliance" between the entertainment industry and the business world, as the couple had frequently made significant moves in the capital markets together.

In 2014, Huang Youlong and Zhao Wei, who had a close relationship with Jack Ma, indirectly acquired over 1.93 billion shares of Alibaba Pictures Group Limited at an average price of HKD 1.60 per share, becoming the second-largest shareholder of Alibaba Pictures Group. Between 2015 and 2016, after a substantial surge in Alibaba Pictures Group's stock price, Huang Youlong and Zhao Wei cashed out approximately HKD 2.25 billion.

In 2015, Huang Youlong and Zhao Wei, through their wholly-owned company Gold Ocean Investments Group Inc., partnered with Jack Ma's company to establish Jade Passion Limited. Under the name of Jade Passion, they acquired 1.943 billion shares of Reorient Group Limited at a price of HKD 2 per share. In November of the following year, Reorient Group Limited was renamed Yunfeng Financial Group Limited (0376.HK).

At the same time, according to media reports, Huang Youlong has maintained close ties with several "gambling kings." For instance, he facilitated a deal between "Malaysian gambling king" Lim Kok Thay and "Jeju Island gambling king" Yang Zhihui, purchasing 500 million shares of Yang's Landbright International at nearly 40% below market price. He also rented out hotels to the Saipan casino owned by "Saipan gambling king" Ji Xiaobo.

From the end of 2016 to the beginning of 2017, the couple Zhao Wei and Huang Youlong, who controlled Long Wei Media, attempted to acquire the publicly listed WanJia Culture for a high price of 3.06 billion yuan, causing a stir in the A-share market. However, as the self-funding portion of the acquisition was minimal and the leverage ratio reached as high as 51 times, this high-leverage acquisition plan ultimately fell through and attracted close scrutiny from regulatory authorities.

In 2018, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) officially penalized Zhao Wei and Huang Youlong, determining that Long Wei Media had engaged in false statements and violations of information disclosure during the acquisition of WanJia Culture. Both Zhao Wei and Huang Youlong were fined 300,000 yuan each and were subjected to a five-year ban from participating in the securities market.

Various signs indicate that it was after this period that the careers of Huang Youlong and Zhao Wei began to decline rapidly, with their business landscape continuously shrinking.

According to inquiries made by Spring Studio at the Hong Kong Companies Registry, it was found that out of the 22 affiliated companies associated with Huang Youlong in Hong Kong, 14 have already been dissolved, with the years of dissolution ranging from 2018 to 2024.

Zhao Wei has five affiliated companies in Hong Kong, one of which was dissolved in November 2018.

In 2018, Huang Youlong simultaneously resigned from his director positions at two Hong Kong-listed companies, Shunlong Holdings (0361.HK) and Yunfeng Financial Group.

Spring Studio noted that Huang Youlong currently holds 67.5% of the shares in Shunlong Holdings, but all of these shares have been pledged to CHINA HUARONG ASSET MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.

After 2018, Yunfeng Financial no longer disclosed Huang Youlong's shareholding notes in the company, making his shareholding status unknown.

The year 2021 proved to be particularly tumultuous for Zhao Wei and Huang Youlong.

In that year, Zhao Wei's name suddenly disappeared from several well-known film and television works, with multiple classic dramas she had starred in, including "My Fair Princess" and "Romance in the Rain," being removed from platforms. Additionally, in the same year, the equity of several companies under her name in mainland China was successively frozen.

Most of the legal cases involving Zhao Wei are related to the securities false statement liability disputes arising from the acquisition of WanJia Culture. It is worth mentioning that among the various applicants for frozen equity, there is also Minsheng Trust, associated with the "Fanhai Group." In 2021, Minsheng Trust filed a lawsuit against Zhao Wei, her husband Huang Youlong, and Shi Yuzhu, the chairman of Giant Network Group, due to disputes over a guarantee contract.

According to subsequently released court documents, Shi Yuzhu had signed a guarantee contract in 2017 for the China Minsheng Trust - Zhi Xin No. 340 Shanghai Ralco Collective Fund Trust Plan, providing a guarantee for the third party, Guangzhou Fenghuolun Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Shi Yuzhu later publicly responded to the matter, stating that the guarantee was provided as a favor to a friend.

Guangzhou Fenghuolun is a holding company owned by Huang Youlong's sister, Huang Li. It is worth noting that Spring Studio observed that another court document indicated that in April 2021, Huang Li, who was serving as the legal representative of Guangzhou Fenghuolun at the time, was suspected of involvement in criminal activities.

Starting in 2021, reports of Huang Youlong being pursued for debt became increasingly frequent.

In June 2021, a Hong Kong-registered company named "MAX POINTER LIMITED" filed a lawsuit against Huang Youlong for defaulting on two loans and their interest, with the total debt amounting to approximately HKD 298 million.

On January 3, 2022, Huang Youlong was sued by Guangdong Finance Limited for failing to repay a principal and interest amount of HKD 303 million borrowed in 2016.

On April 18, 2023, Huang Youlong was sued by Rich Century for failing to pay rent.

On December 23, 2024, Wise Choice Ventures Limited filed a lawsuit in the Hong Kong High Court, accusing Huang Youlong of defaulting on a loan and interest amounting to HKD 753 million. Public records indicate that Wise Choice Ventures Limited is a subsidiary of China Huarong.

In recent years, the "gambling kings" who had previously interacted with Huang Youlong have also fallen into difficulties.

After 2018, "Jeju Island gambling king" Yang Zhihui encountered multiple troubles. Following the arrest of Lai Xiaomin, Yang Zhihui reportedly went missing, possibly due to assisting in the investigation. In 2021, he was penalized by the China Securities Regulatory Commission for financial fraud involving his publicly listed company. In 2022, the Shanghai Public Security Bureau froze the shares held by Yang Zhihui in the listed company.

Starting in 2023, "Saipan gambling king" Ji Xiaobo has been classified as a mafia leader in China and has fled overseas.

Written by Danica Leung; Edited by Alicia Chiu

This text has been translated by AI, and the content is subject to the Chinese version. Click to view the original Chinese text.