Accompanying a Female Star 39 Years His Senior for 13 Years to Inherit 5 Billion Fortune: The 'Ultimate Soft Rice King' Reveals a Bleak Final Chapter

Legendary Chinese tycoon Li Chunping was reported to have quietly passed away in Beijing last month at the age of 76. He had claimed to inherit a massive fortune from an American Hollywood actress 39 years his senior, becoming famous and amassing a net worth of 26.8 billion RMB (5 billion SGD), earning the nickname among Chinese netizens as the 'most incredible soft rice king in history.'

After returning to China, he often donated money to charity and was even dubbed 'China's number one philanthropist.' However, in his later years, due to Alzheimer's and legal disputes over property guardianship, he passed away quietly in a hospital with no family by his side.

Li Chunping's life was full of drama. Born in 1949, he was once a soldier, but after injuring a romantic rival, he was sent to a labor camp on a farm. When his life hit rock bottom, he used his good looks to meet a Hollywood actress 39 years his senior. The lady said he resembled her first love and soon brought him to America, where he 'lived as a canary for 13 years.'

In 1991, after the rich woman passed away, Li Chunping inherited up to 90% of her fortune as her husband and returned to China with 5 billion SGD in wealth, even publishing an autobiography. His story was later adapted into a TV series "Human Love Affairs" in 2009, starring Deng Chao, Fan Bingbing, Li Xiaoran, and others.

After returning to the country, he led a life of extreme luxury, becoming the first in China to own a Rolls-Royce and at one point ordered three at once. Reports say he bought houses 'as casually as buying cabbage', filled his home with antiques, and was constantly attended by nearly 40 staff members—including nine drivers, and frequently kept millions of RMB in cash in his safe.
According to Chinese media reports, wealth could not bring Li Chunping complete happiness. In 2002, he was detained for allegedly purchasing stolen cultural relics but was later released due to lack of evidence. In his later years, his health deteriorated; in 2017, he was reportedly diagnosed with hereditary Alzheimer's. He was later said to have married his 39-year-old caretaker Yu Qicun, but his assets and properties were gradually transferred by those around him. It was further reported that when he ultimately died in Beijing, there was not a single family member present.