Trust Collapse: How an Insider Took Away a Hong Kong Teenager's $160 Million in BTC

比推Published on 2026-03-20Last updated on 2026-03-20

Abstract

In a high-profile case currently being heard in the UK High Court, Hong Kong-based financial influencer and former "stock prodigy" Yuen Bing-fai, also known as "Fire Fat Sam," has accused his estranged wife, Li Wun-yung, of stealing 2,323 BTC (worth approximately $162 million at the time of writing) from his cold wallet. Yuen alleges that Li, with the help of her sister, installed hidden cameras in their Brighton home to record him entering his PIN and seed phrase for his Trezor hardware wallet. The theft came to light after their daughter warned Yuen that her mother might be planning to take the Bitcoin. Secretly recorded conversations between Li and her sister, submitted as evidence, reportedly include discussions about transferring the BTC, laundering the funds, and avoiding police detection. The BTC was moved to 71 different addresses and has remained there since. Yuen, who gained fame through stock and crypto investments, claims to have acquired the Bitcoin between 2010 and 2013. The court has issued a global freezing order on the assets due to crypto's volatility. While Li denies the allegations, the judge noted the evidence appears "devastating" and allowed the civil case to proceed. The case has drawn significant media coverage and public attention, also reviving discussions about Yuen's controversial past, including his promotion of a failed cloud mining scheme in Hong Kong that led to investor losses and police investigations.

Author: Ma He, Foresight News

Original Title: Pillow Talk Turns to "Hacking": The Full Story of How Hong Kong's Teen Stock God Had $160 Million in BTC Stolen


If this story were made into a drama, it would absolutely be the most controversial and sensational family suspense series of early 2026—the protagonist is no ordinary person, but the once widely known Hong Kong financial KOL Fire Lyu Sen, real name Yuen Bing-fai, who was once crowned the "Teen Stock God".

He made his fortune early on through stock trading and Bitcoin, and his radio program "A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire" was once highly popular among countless Hong Kong people. He also published an investment book titled "I Borrowed My First Ten Million from Buffett".

However, no one expected that a recent legal case would expose the most sensational family drama.

Pillow Partner Uses Hidden Camera to Steal Seed Phrase and Take BTC

In 2023, Fire Lyu Sen's divorce case reached the UK High Court. He accused his wife, Li Huanyong, with whom he is separating, of conspiring with her sister to secretly install hidden cameras in their Brighton mansion to film him entering his cold wallet PIN and storing the seed phrase, directly transferring 2,323 BTC.

The case, recently reported in Hong Kong's "Sing Tao Daily" and "Hong Kong Economic Times," as well as the UK's "Daily Mail" and "The Times," has sparked heated discussions among netizens in Hong Kong and other regions.

The incident dates back to 2023. At that time, Fire Lyu Sen and Li Huanyong were going through a divorce. In early July, the trigger was actually their eldest daughter. She privately told Fire Lyu Sen that her mother might be plotting something regarding the Bitcoin.

Fire Lyu Sen became immediately alert. He didn't confront her directly but instead secretly installed recording equipment at home to gather evidence.

According to court documents, the conversations between Li Huanyong and her sister were recorded verbatim. Li Huanyong said: "The Bitcoin has already been transferred to me, but will people find out you took it?"

A more crucial and accusatory dialogue: "It's fine, take it all."

They also discussed money laundering risks, using a second wallet, and the possibility of police attention... These conversations later became key evidence in court.

In his testimony submitted to the court, Fire Lyu Sen clearly stated that Li Huanyong had secretly installed hidden cameras in the mansion specifically to film him operating his Trezor cold wallet.

That cold wallet was not connected to the internet and was protected by a 6-digit PIN code. The core is a 24-word seed phrase. Anyone who obtains the seed phrase can restore the entire wallet on another device, and the funds change hands instantly.

Later, the 2,323 BTC actually moved—transferred in batches to 71 different addresses, and have remained untouched since. Fire Lyu Sen, dissatisfied, directly confronted Li Huanyong, but ended up being arrested himself. He pleaded guilty to one count of actual bodily harm and two counts of common assault. He immediately reported to the police, accusing Li Huanyong of stealing the coins. In December, Li Huanyong was arrested by UK police and released on bail. During the search, police found 10 cold wallets, 5 sets of seed phrases, and several luxury watches on her side, some of which were confirmed to be Fire Lyu Sen's property. However, the police stated there was no new evidence at the time and did not investigate further.

As of March 2026, the case has been formally transferred to the UK High Court for trial. Presiding Judge Cotter, after reviewing the transcript of the recordings, pointed out that the evidence held by the plaintiff was "devastating" and直言 (stated directly) that their chances of winning were extremely high.

Given the characteristic high volatility of cryptocurrency prices, the judge specially approved a worldwide freezing order, aiming to preserve the value of the related assets through an early trial. Although the defendant, Li Huanyong, has firmly denied knowledge of the asset transfer by submitting an affidavit, the court has ruled to allow this civil litigation process to continue.

Fire Lyu Sen's Rise and History of Controversy

However, behind Fire Lyu Sen's career achievements, there have also been numerous negative controversies.

He graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a degree in accounting in 2003. In his early years, he worked as a commentator for Hong Kong radio stations and financial magazines. He gained fame for his accurate predictions around the 2007-2008 financial crisis (such as strategies like being bearish on the property market and bullish on gold/yen), earning him the title "Teen Stock God." He accumulated his initial capital through publishing multiple bestselling investment books, hosting financial programs, and personal stock investments.

Subsequently, his investment in Bitcoin took his wealth to a new level.

In his testimony to the UK High Court, Fire Lyu Sen claimed that he began purchasing and holding large amounts of Bitcoin as early as between 2010 and 2013 (when Bitcoin was from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars).

Hodling 2,323 Bitcoin until now, if calculated at a price of $100,000, it would be worth $232.3 million. At the current price of $70,000, it is worth approximately $163 million.

However, around 2017-2018, there were complaints from people who lost money investing in a virtual currency vending machine he promoted.

According to reports from multiple media outlets, Fire Lyu森 vigorously promoted a cryptocurrency called HE15 on his social platforms and in lectures. Investors needed to pay about HK$20,000 to HK$30,000 to purchase a so-called "cloud mining machine." This machine did not need to be taken home; it was operated by a hosting center, generating virtual currency daily, which could be exchanged for BTC or ETH on a trading platform associated with Fire Lyu Sen.

Starting mid-2018, the price of HE15 experienced a cliff-like drop, and the conversion channels were blocked. Investors found that their assets could not be withdrawn or were almost worthless. Some investors even discovered that the so-called "high-performance mining machines" actually had extremely low hardware specifications and were sold at prices far above market value.

In early 2019, over 100 victims sought help from the Hong Kong Democratic Party and reported to the police. The total amount involved was estimated to be at least over HK$20 million.

In April 2019, the Hong Kong Commercial Crime Bureau (CCB) took action and arrested several personnel from associated companies on suspicion of "conspiracy to defraud."

Fire Lyu Sen was identified as the KOL for this project at the time, but he himself subsequently moved to the UK.


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Original link:https://www.bitpush.news/articles/7621501

Related Questions

QWho is the main person involved in the $160 million Bitcoin theft case in Hong Kong?

AThe main person involved is Yuen Bing-fai, also known as 'Fire Fat Sam' or 'Stock Boy Genius', a former Hong Kong financial KOL.

QHow were the 2,323 Bitcoins stolen from Yuen Bing-fai?

AThe Bitcoins were stolen by his estranged wife, Li Woon-yung, who installed hidden cameras in their UK mansion to record him entering his Trezor cold wallet PIN and mnemonic phrase.

QWhat key evidence was presented in the UK High Court case regarding the Bitcoin theft?

AKey evidence included audio recordings where Li Woon-yung and her sister discussed transferring the Bitcoin, concerns about money laundering, and using a second wallet. Hidden cameras and the recovery of cold wallets and mnemonic phrases during a police search were also critical.

QWhat was the current value of the stolen Bitcoins at the time of the article, and what legal action was taken?

AAt the time of the article, the 2,323 Bitcoins were worth approximately $163 million at $70,000 per Bitcoin. The UK High Court issued a global freezing order, and the case was proceeding with civil litigation.

QWhat previous financial controversy was Yuen Bing-fai involved in before the Bitcoin theft case?

AYuen was involved in promoting the HE15 cryptocurrency and associated mining machines in 2017-2018, which led to investors suffering significant losses. Over 100 victims reported losses exceeding HK$20 million, and Hong Kong police arrested several individuals for conspiracy to fraud.

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