Zhimin Qian defrauded 128,000 investors in China and was arrested in the UK after six years on the run
A UK court has sentenced 47-year-old Chinese national Zhimin Qian, famously called the “Goddess of Wealth,” to 11 years and eight months in prison for masterminding a multibillion-dollar cryptocurrency fraud scheme.
Qian’s Ponzi operation, which ran from 2014 to 2017, lured over 128,000 victims in China with promises of up to 300% returns and raised billions of dollars, much of which was converted to bitcoin.
British police later seized 61,000 bitcoin worth £5 billion ($6.6 billion) — the world’s largest cryptocurrency seizure.
Arrested in York in 2024, Qian pleaded guilty to possessing and transferring criminal property. The court heard that she lived lavishly in Europe, staying in luxury hotels and renting a London property for £17,000 a month.
Her accomplices, Seng Hok Ling and Jian Wen, were also sentenced for roles in the scheme.
UK authorities are now working with Chinese officials to recover assets and compensate victims.
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