Upcoming: the trial of China’s richest man

Chinese entrepreneur Huang Guangyu’s rise from street vendor to chairman of Gome, the leading consumer electronics retail chain in China, had all the hallmarks of the classic rags-to-riches tale of modern China — until it all came tumbling down. Last November Huang, who has been valued as the richest man in China, was taken into ...

Chinese entrepreneur Huang Guangyu's rise from street vendor to chairman of Gome, the leading consumer electronics retail chain in China, had all the hallmarks of the classic rags-to-riches tale of modern China -- until it all came tumbling down.

Chinese entrepreneur Huang Guangyu’s rise from street vendor to chairman of Gome, the leading consumer electronics retail chain in China, had all the hallmarks of the classic rags-to-riches tale of modern China — until it all came tumbling down.

Last November Huang, who has been valued as the richest man in China, was taken into police custody.  This week Huang was formerly indicted on charges including bribery and insider trading. His trial — and the public response to it — will be something to watch. How does one become a billionaire in China? Is there a "clean" way to the top?

Christina Larson is an award-winning foreign correspondent and science journalist based in Beijing, and a former Foreign Policy editor. She has reported from nearly a dozen countries in Asia. Her features have appeared in the New York Times, Wired, Science, Scientific American, the Atlantic, and other publications. In 2016, she won the Overseas Press Club of America’s Morton Frank Award for international magazine writing. Twitter: @larsonchristina
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