Ling Wancheng

Background

Ling Wancheng was born in Pinglu County, Shanxi, China.

Education

He graduated with a degree in economics from Jilin University.

Career

He is the youngest of five siblings. His own name, "Wancheng", means "to finish". After graduating Ling joined the Xinhua news agency.

He was an editor at Outlook Weekly (瞭望) magazine.

He rose to become the deputy chief of the General Office of the Xinhua news agency. He earned an Master of Business Administration from Hunan University in 2004.

In 2004 he became the Chief Executive Officer of Tiantian Zaixian (天天在线), a subsidiary of China Netcom. Ling, along with associates from his home province of Shanxi, co-founded an investment firm in 2008, and became chief executive of its subsidiary Huijin Lifang Capital Management Limited. shortly thereafter.

Huijin owned a stake in Chinese online entertainment company LeTV.com.

Under Ling"s leadership, the company was thought to have profited some 300 million yuan ($4827 million) from the appreciation of LeTV stocks. In November 2014, Ling was placed under investigation by the Chinese government. Two of Ling"s brothers, Ling Zhengce and Ling Jihua, were placed under investigation in 2014.

However, Ling left for the United States after his brother"s investigation had been initiated.

Ling"s subsequent whereabouts were unknown. In August 2015 the Obama administration expressed concerns about undercover Chinese law enforcement operatives with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security in the United States who are searching for and repatriating Chinese fugitives under Operation Fox Hunt.

According to the New York Times, "should he seek political asylum, he could become one of the most damaging defectors in the history of the People's Republic.".

Achievements

• A golf enthusiast, Ling has won many amateur golf tournaments in Beijing under the pseudonym "Wang Cheng", and was a member of the China Golf Association.

Politics

Ling is a member of the prominent Ling political family from Shanxi province. He compiled internal documentation for party officials and worked as a news reporter.