Key points: Zhimin Qian, 47, known as the "goddess of wealth," was jailed for 11 years and 8 months in the UK after admitting to possessing and transferring criminal property tied to a Ponzi-style bitcoin scheme that defrauded about 128,000 people in China. British police seized 61,000 BTC — valued at over £5 billion ($6.6bn) — in what they called the largest single crypto seizure. Qian was arrested in York in April 2024; co-defendants received prison terms and civil claims for victim compensation are still pending.
UK Jails 'Goddess of Wealth' for 11 Years 8 Months after Multibillion-Dollar Bitcoin Scam
Key points: Zhimin Qian, 47, known as the "goddess of wealth," was jailed for 11 years and 8 months in the UK after admitting to possessing and transferring criminal property tied to a Ponzi-style bitcoin scheme that defrauded about 128,000 people in China. British police seized 61,000 BTC — valued at over £5 billion ($6.6bn) — in what they called the largest single crypto seizure. Qian was arrested in York in April 2024; co-defendants received prison terms and civil claims for victim compensation are still pending.
02:00 AM, 11/12/2025Security
Chinese 'goddess of wealth' sentenced over multibillion-dollar bitcoin fraud
Zhimin Qian, 47, a Chinese national nicknamed the "goddess of wealth," was sentenced on Tuesday at Southwark Crown Court in London to 11 years and eight months in prison after admitting to possessing and transferring criminal property linked to a huge investment fraud.
Between 2014 and 2017 Qian ran a Ponzi-style scheme that promised investors returns of up to 300 percent and, according to prosecutors, defrauded roughly 128,000 people in China. The operation raised billions of dollars, much of which prosecutors say was converted into bitcoin.
After fleeing China in 2017 amid scrutiny from Chinese authorities, Qian evaded capture for several years while travelling across Europe. British police said that following a multiyear investigation they seized 61,000 bitcoin — valued at more than £5 billion (about $6.6 billion) — calling it the largest single cryptocurrency seizure in the world. Qian was arrested in York in April 2024.
Delivering sentence, Judge Sally-Ann Hales described the offences as "highly sophisticated" and the product of careful planning. "Your motive was one of pure greed," she told Qian in court. Qian pleaded guilty in September and appeared emotional when sentenced.
Statement from defence: Qian's lawyer, Roger Sahota, said she "accepts" the conviction and expressed remorse: "She never set out to commit fraud but recognises her investment schemes were fraudulent and misled those who trusted her. She is deeply sorry for the distress suffered by investors."
Two co-defendants have also been sentenced: Malaysian national Seng Hok Ling, 47, received four years and 11 months after pleading guilty to transferring criminal property; another associate, Jian Wen, was jailed last year for six years and eight months for her role in the scheme. Police surveillance of Ling ultimately led to Qian's arrest.
The Metropolitan Police said the seven-year investigation was one of the "largest and most complex" it has undertaken and involved close cooperation with multiple partners, including Chinese law enforcement. Civil proceedings in London's High Court are ongoing to establish a compensation scheme for victims; more than 1,300 alleged victims have come forward so far.
Details of alleged lavish lifestyle: Court evidence said Qian lived luxuriously while on the run — staying in upscale hotels, buying jewellery including two watches reportedly worth nearly £120,000, and renting a central London property at around £17,000 a month while claiming to run a legitimate jewellery business.
The criminal case highlights both the scale of certain cryptocurrency-enabled frauds and the international law-enforcement effort required to investigate and recover assets.