DouYu CEO Chen Shaojie Missing for Weeks Amid Suspected Investigation Over Illegal Content

Disappearance of Chen Shaojie, CEO of Tencent-backed DouYu, Comes Amidst Allegations of Hosting of Illegal Pornographic and Gambling Content on the Popular Livestreaming Platform and Signals Escalating Pattern of High-profile Executive Vanishings in China.

DouYu CEO Chen Shaojie has been missing and unreachable for weeks. The disappearance is allegedly tied to an ongoing investigation by Chinese authorities into suspected illegal pornographic and gambling content on the livestreaming platform.
Chen's last public appearance was in August during DouYu's quarterly earnings conference call. While there has been no official confirmation of his detention, insiders suggest his absence is likely tied to the investigation.
DouYu, backed by Chinese tech giant Tencent and listed on the Nasdaq, reportedly continues to function normally despite Chen's disappearance. The company maintains that they will relay any significant news or material activities in a timely manner.
Fellow executives in China, including billionaire Jack Ma, investment bank CEO Bao Fan, and property developer chairman Hui Ka Yan, have also vanished momentarily, signalling an increasing pattern of executive disappearances in China.
The incident follows a series of crackdowns on purported corruption cases and morally inappropriate content driven by Chinese authorities, affecting various prominent figures and industries.