Jimmy Lai

Lai Chee-ying, known as Jimmy Lai, is a prominent billionaire and advocate for democracy. He founded numerous companies based in Hong Kong. Born in Canton, China in 1947, he arrived in Hong Kong as a stowaway at age 12, working as a child laborer in a garment factory earning $8 per month. He is the founder of Giordano, an Asian clothing retailer along with several media companies. On August 10, 2020, Jimmy Lai was arrested by the Hong Kong police on charges of violating a new national security law. He has since been released and rearrested. His Catholic faith has been instrumental in his decision to stay in Hong Kong and fight for democracy, stating, “If I go away, I not only give up my destiny, I give up God, I give up my religion, I give up what I believe in.” He also noted: "If you believe in the Lord, if you believe that all suffering has a reason, and the Lord is suffering with me ... I’m at peace with it”. Jimmy Lai has been in solitary confinement in Hong Kong since September of 2023.