Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, born December 8, 1947, is a Hong Kong businessman, media mogul, and democracy activist. Despite being a British national since 1996, he has remained a prominent figure in Hong Kong's political landscape for decades. Lai's entrepreneurial career began when he arrived in Hong Kong at age twelve with minimal resources. He worked in a garment factory before purchasing the bankrupt knitwear manufacturer Comitex in 1975. Six years later, he founded Giordano, a fast-fashion chain that became highly successful across Asia, eventually making him a billionaire with an estimated fortune of $1.2 billion before government seizure of his assets. Beyond business, Lai became deeply committed to democracy and human rights advocacy. The 1989 Tiananmen Square protests catalyzed his political engagement; his garment factory supplied t-shirts to protesters. In 1990, he founded Next Magazine, combining tabloid journalism with hard-hitting political reporting. His most significant media venture came in 1995 when he founded Apple Daily, a pro-democracy newspaper he financed with $100 million of his own money. The publication became Hong Kong's second-largest newspaper by 1997 and served as a platform for exposing government corruption and advocating democratic freedoms. Lai's activism intensified over the decades. He contributed over $140 million of his personal wealth to the pro-democracy movement and became one of the Chinese Communist Party's most vocal critics, earning him the label of "traitor" from Beijing. In August 2020, Lai was arrested under Hong Kong's National Security Law for allegedly "colluding with foreign countries." He has since faced multiple convictions and sentences totaling concurrent imprisonment. As of November 2024, he faces trial with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Currently held at Stanley Prison in Hong Kong, Lai has endured prolonged solitary confinement. His case represents a significant flashpoint in debates over Hong Kong's freedoms and press independence following the imposition of national security legislation.