Jay Chou’s Close Friend Accused of Embezzling 200,000—Key to First Not-Guilty Verdict Revealed
Published atDec 12, 2025 03:06 pm
Fan Muqun, who shares a close friendship with superstar Jay Chou and has been active in both the restaurant and hand-shaken drink markets for many years—founding well-known venues such as “Mr.J Italian-French Kitchen” and “Machi Machi”—has often been supported at public events by Jay Chou himself. However, news recently surfaced that Fan was previously accused by a former business partner of transferring NT$1.564 million (about RM206,000) of company funds to his own account without authorization, allegedly committing the crime of business embezzlement and consequently prosecuted by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office. On November 28, the Taipei District Court rendered its first-instance verdict, ruling that the evidence did not meet the standard for conviction and declaring Fan not guilty.
According to a report by CTWANT, the case originated in 2018 when Fan Muqun and several friends jointly founded “Milo Xiang Co., Ltd.” to bring the famous Yufuin, Japan half-baked cheese cakes into Taiwan for retail—however, sales did not meet expectations and the company ultimately ceased operations by the end of 2023. Ongoing cash flow issues led to internal dissension, with shareholders accusing Fan Muqun of transferring company funds into his personal account in 10 separate transactions totaling over NT$1.56 million (about RM206,000). Jay Chou’s long-time friend Fan Muqun (right) became embroiled in a lawsuit over disputed company funds, and received a not-guilty verdict at the first trial.
After review, the court held that, in the early stages of a startup, it was common practice for the person in charge to pay expenses upfront personally and be reimbursed by the company later. Furthermore, testimony indicated that Fan Muqun had actually advanced over NT$3.73 million (about RM490,000), an amount far greater than the allegedly misappropriated sum, making it unlikely that embezzlement had occurred. As such, the court ultimately concluded he was not guilty.
Fan Muqun comes from an architectural background but, passionate about entrepreneurship, entered the food and beverage sector. He was behind establishments such as “Meihao Era,” “YumYum Deli,” and “Machi Machi” (launched with Jay Chou and Hannah Quinlivan). “Machi Machi” became wildly popular again thanks to its appearance in the “Won’t Cry” music video.
This article has been translated using our AI technology. While we strive for accuracy,
AI translations
may contain errors. For the most precise information, please refer to the original article.
