Man Alleges Wife Stole $172 Million in Bitcoin After 'Covertly Recording' Him
Ping Fai Yuen, a UK resident, alleges that his estranged wife, Fun Yung Li, stole approximately $172 million worth of Bitcoin (2,323 BTC) from his Trezor hardware wallet in August 2023. The Bitcoin was transferred without his knowledge and distributed across 71 different addresses, with no further transactions since December 2023. Ping became suspicious after his daughter warned him of his wife’s intentions, and subsequent audio recordings allegedly captured Fun and her sister, Lai Yung Li, plotting to gain access to the wallet seed phrase by covertly recording Ping. Excerpts from the recordings document discussions of transferring and taking all the Bitcoin. After discovering the theft, Ping assaulted his wife and was later convicted of assault. He reported the theft to police, who arrested Fun and seized multiple crypto wallets, but released her after no further evidence was presented. In November 2025, Ping sought a court injunction to freeze Fun’s assets and reclaim the Bitcoin. Justice Cotter found Ping had a strong case, citing substantial evidence and urging an early trial due to Bitcoin’s price volatility.
