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The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong's Greatest Dissident, and China's Most Feared Critic
The astonishing story of the billionaire businessman Jimmy Lai who became one of Hong Kong’s leading activists for democracy and is today China’s most famous political prisoner.
Jimmy Lai escaped mainland China when he was twelve years old, at the height of a famine that killed tens of millions. In Hong Kong, he hustled; no work was beneath him, and he often slept on a table in a clothing factory where he did odd jobs. At twenty-one, he was running a factory. By his mid-twenties, he owned one and was supplying sweaters and shirts to some of the biggest brands in the United States, from Polo to The Limited. His ideas about retail led him to create Giordano in 1981, and with it “fast fashion.” A restless entrepreneur, as Giordano prepared to go public, he was thinking about a dining concept that would disrupt Hong Kong’s fast-food industry. But then came the Tiananmen Square democracy protest and the massacre of 1989.
His reaction to the violence was to enter the media business to push China toward more freedoms. He started a magazine, Next, to advocate for democracy in Hong Kong. Then, just two years before the city was to return to Chinese control, he founded the Apple Daily newspaper. Its mix of bold graphics, gossip, local news, and opposition to the Chinese Communist Party was an immediate hit. For more than two decades, Lai used Apple and Next as part of a personal push for democracy—in weekly columns, at rallies and marches, and, memorably, sitting in front of a tent during the 2014 Occupy Central movement.
Lai took his activism abroad, traveling frequently to Washington, where he was well known in Congress and in political circles. China reacted with fury in 2019 when he met with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. A draconian new security law came into effect in Hong Kong in mid-2020, effectively making free speech a crime and censorship a fact. Lai was its most important target. Apple Daily was raided on August 10, 2020. He was arrested and held without bail before being convicted of trumped-up charges ranging from lighting a candle (“incitement to riot”) to violating a clause in his company’s lease (“fraud”). At the end of 2023, a lengthy trial began alleging “collusion with foreign forces” and printing seditious materials. China’s most famous political prisoner has been in jail for more than 1,100 days and could spend the rest of his life there. The Troublemaker is his story.
Jimmy Lai escaped mainland China when he was twelve years old, at the height of a famine that killed tens of millions. In Hong Kong, he hustled; no work was beneath him, and he often slept on a table in a clothing factory where he did odd jobs. At twenty-one, he was running a factory. By his mid-twenties, he owned one and was supplying sweaters and shirts to some of the biggest brands in the United States, from Polo to The Limited. His ideas about retail led him to create Giordano in 1981, and with it “fast fashion.” A restless entrepreneur, as Giordano prepared to go public, he was thinking about a dining concept that would disrupt Hong Kong’s fast-food industry. But then came the Tiananmen Square democracy protest and the massacre of 1989.
His reaction to the violence was to enter the media business to push China toward more freedoms. He started a magazine, Next, to advocate for democracy in Hong Kong. Then, just two years before the city was to return to Chinese control, he founded the Apple Daily newspaper. Its mix of bold graphics, gossip, local news, and opposition to the Chinese Communist Party was an immediate hit. For more than two decades, Lai used Apple and Next as part of a personal push for democracy—in weekly columns, at rallies and marches, and, memorably, sitting in front of a tent during the 2014 Occupy Central movement.
Lai took his activism abroad, traveling frequently to Washington, where he was well known in Congress and in political circles. China reacted with fury in 2019 when he met with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. A draconian new security law came into effect in Hong Kong in mid-2020, effectively making free speech a crime and censorship a fact. Lai was its most important target. Apple Daily was raided on August 10, 2020. He was arrested and held without bail before being convicted of trumped-up charges ranging from lighting a candle (“incitement to riot”) to violating a clause in his company’s lease (“fraud”). At the end of 2023, a lengthy trial began alleging “collusion with foreign forces” and printing seditious materials. China’s most famous political prisoner has been in jail for more than 1,100 days and could spend the rest of his life there. The Troublemaker is his story.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published December 3, 2024
64 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
About the author
Mark L. Clifford
9 books17 followersMARK L. CLIFFORD is president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong and the former executive director of the Asia Business Council. He is editorial chair of the Asian Review of Books, a Council on Foreign Relations member, and a board member at Next Digital. He served as editor-in-chief of both English-language papers in Hong Kong, The Standard and the South China Morning Post. An honors history graduate of UC Berkeley and a Walter Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, he holds a University of Hong Kong Ph.D. in Hong Kong history.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 8, 2025
Written by a friend and former employee, this almost hagiographic account is decidedly one-sided. However, overall, it is still enjoyable. Learning how Jimmy Lai made his fortune through his various business decisions is interesting. Indeed, Lai is first and foremost a businessman. He worships Hayek, Milton Friedman, and John Cowperthwaite. Apparently, he has read the complete works of Hayek. He was a close friend of the Friedmans. Cowperthwaite may not be as well-known as the other two figures, but he was one of Hong Kong’s former financial secretaries, famous (or infamous) for his laissez-faire approach (or at least it was claimed) to Hong Kong’s finance and economy. Lai believes in the free market and thinks it is a panacea for all kinds of woes. Even though this book is sympathetic, the author cannot avoid stating that Lai is not particularly interested in social justice. Indeed, he opposed Chris Patten’s, the last governor’s, failed attempt to introduce a pension program. Lai’s political analyses, whether with hindsight or not, have repeatedly proved inaccurate. His Catholicism is of a socially conservative strand. A very flawed figure? Individual readers can decide for themselves.
Overall, this is not a page-turner. At times, it is even boring. I understand the ethos of the author, but there are more entertaining books than this. That said, the diligent reader who does not mind fact-checking may gain something from it. But as alluded to, read this with many pinches of salt.
Overall, this is not a page-turner. At times, it is even boring. I understand the ethos of the author, but there are more entertaining books than this. That said, the diligent reader who does not mind fact-checking may gain something from it. But as alluded to, read this with many pinches of salt.
January 10, 2025
Wow. What a great book and inspiring person. A must read. Especially now when democracy and freedom are under constant attack. There are only a few who stand up and Jimmy Lai was one of them.
2nd great biography of the year.
Highly recommended
2nd great biography of the year.
Highly recommended
December 31, 2024
An important story that needed to be told, yet the protagonist might never get to read this book.
If there’s one thing Jimmy Lai should be sentenced for, is how hopeful and optimistic he was towards the future of China.
If there’s one thing Jimmy Lai should be sentenced for, is how hopeful and optimistic he was towards the future of China.
January 2, 2025
Very interesting life story of a boy growing up in communist China who escaped to Hong Kong, prospered in the free economy there, moved to Taiwan in the 80's when its government became democratic, and is currently imprisoned by the CCP for speaking against their tyrannical government and censorship of free speach in Taiwan. He could have escaped easily with all his money and with his British citizenship, but he chose to stay to fight for freedom and inspire the people of Taiwan to do the same.
August 13, 2025
Quick and easy read (~200 pgs), does the job I expected of a journalistic biography. I think if I were to try and convince my finance friends the value of moral ambition I would recommend this.
Disclaimer: I did get this book for free at a dinner I had w the author who I liked a lot as a person
Disclaimer: I did get this book for free at a dinner I had w the author who I liked a lot as a person
December 26, 2024
Jimmy is a rebel who fled starvation via Zhuhai and Macao with 5 dollars in his pocket at 12 years old. His mother was also persecuted at the time because his father was a successful businessman when Mao was the leader. Jimmy went on to own first a clothing factory and later started Giordano,which is said to be the father of fast fashion. After 1989 Jimmy wanted to direct his massive wealth to promoting Democratic values. This he did with the weekly magazine,Next, and later the Apple Daily newspaper. As a peaceful protestor in 2019
he was blamed for inciting the violence that gripped the city for a time then. As an avid reader,a British citizen and a devout Catholic he had a lot to say about the value of freedom and even started Next Taiwan and lived on the island for a time with his 2nd. wife. He was swept up as an instigator in the 2019 protests and today remains in jail where he has become a martyr for his beliefs. Like Navalny in Russia he could have fled to Britian,but instead chose to face imprisonment for being a journalist under the sweeping nation security laws instituted by the mainland to quell the violence in HK. His newspaper and magazine were closed and documents were seized. The fate of this optimistic and patriotic man has yet to be,but Taiwan will likely suffer a similar fate as the mainland seeks to unify the three area totally under a single, Authoritarian rule and nothing will stop that dream from being achieved from a mainlander's perspective.
he was blamed for inciting the violence that gripped the city for a time then. As an avid reader,a British citizen and a devout Catholic he had a lot to say about the value of freedom and even started Next Taiwan and lived on the island for a time with his 2nd. wife. He was swept up as an instigator in the 2019 protests and today remains in jail where he has become a martyr for his beliefs. Like Navalny in Russia he could have fled to Britian,but instead chose to face imprisonment for being a journalist under the sweeping nation security laws instituted by the mainland to quell the violence in HK. His newspaper and magazine were closed and documents were seized. The fate of this optimistic and patriotic man has yet to be,but Taiwan will likely suffer a similar fate as the mainland seeks to unify the three area totally under a single, Authoritarian rule and nothing will stop that dream from being achieved from a mainlander's perspective.
March 25, 2025
I confess that I had never heard of Jimmy Lai before I stumbled on this book. In part that is because he has always been more about results than self-promotion, which is a refreshing thing to find on any side of the political spectrum. He has been more of a businessman than an activist, though in later years, particularly in the Hong Kong democracy movement, he became more and more politically active. Starting out in the garment business, he later moved into magazines where he had a large personal editorial role and didn't hesitate to tweak powerful people in Hong Kong and in the Chinese Communist Party. An admirer of Friedrich Hayek's Road to Serfdom, he is essentially a neoliberal in his political and economic philosophy. That includes a strong love of democracy and freedom of expression that put him at odds with the Communist Party. Staying at home when he could have fled, he has become a jailed martyr in much the same way as Alexei Navalny, believing that his cause is best served by showing no fear and by staying where he is most at home regardless of the personal consequences. In many ways he doesn't fit into our usual image of an opponent of authoritarianism, and I do not share some of his basic political views, but I always like to have my assumptions and my default point of view shaken up a little bit, so that I can broaden my idea of how to live an estimable life.
April 19, 2025
Part biography and part hagiography. With the old man probably spending the rest of his days in Communist prison, maybe he deserves a little pat on the back. Clifford does reveal negative aspects of Jimmy Lai and go over some of his failures, but he often finds a silver lining even in these. Lai's life story is an interesting one and worth examining. Most interesting is the fact that he could see the writing on the wall, and yet he stayed within the grasp of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He had plenty of money and he had business interests outside of Hong Kong, meaning he could have saved himself, his family, and continued to prosper elsewhere.
While Clifford really doesn't give it much thought, Lai is also a British citizen, and it is astonishing how little the UK has done in the interest of its own prominent citizen given the CCP's willy-nilly violation of its own constitution and its agreement with the UK with regard to Hong Kong and her citizens. We can only hope more brave people like Jimmy Lai stand up in the face of totalitarian repression wherever it occurs, and we can thank people like Mark Clifford for making a good record of it in the face of totalitarian attempts at total erasure of this and other such beacons of freedom. A good read.
While Clifford really doesn't give it much thought, Lai is also a British citizen, and it is astonishing how little the UK has done in the interest of its own prominent citizen given the CCP's willy-nilly violation of its own constitution and its agreement with the UK with regard to Hong Kong and her citizens. We can only hope more brave people like Jimmy Lai stand up in the face of totalitarian repression wherever it occurs, and we can thank people like Mark Clifford for making a good record of it in the face of totalitarian attempts at total erasure of this and other such beacons of freedom. A good read.
August 18, 2025
I wanted to be a little more educated about Jimmy Lai, since I'd heard only snippets. This book gave definitely gave me the background that I was looking for, but the book was dry, the writing didn't feel cohesive or clear, and it certainly felt like the author only focused on giving only the good angles on Jimmy Lai's character.
It is rather amazing that Lai has refused to be cowed by the CCP, and has been willing to sacrifice his business, money, personal freedoms, and likely eventually his life due to this. I do not dispute this, and I appreciated reading details behind the CCP's accusations towards Lai. This is why I read the book.
Because of this moral stand and the high regard the author has for Lai, some of Lai's early life and misdeeds are glossed over. He was a rather unscrupulous businessman. There were stories told that indicated some of this, but there always seemed to be some justification, dismissal, or general glossing over of these acts; instead the focus was to spotlight all of Lai's positive traits. It made the book feel lopsided, and I was left feeling slightly unsatisfied about this.
I don't regret the read, but I was always checking my page count, and was glad to be finished.
It is rather amazing that Lai has refused to be cowed by the CCP, and has been willing to sacrifice his business, money, personal freedoms, and likely eventually his life due to this. I do not dispute this, and I appreciated reading details behind the CCP's accusations towards Lai. This is why I read the book.
Because of this moral stand and the high regard the author has for Lai, some of Lai's early life and misdeeds are glossed over. He was a rather unscrupulous businessman. There were stories told that indicated some of this, but there always seemed to be some justification, dismissal, or general glossing over of these acts; instead the focus was to spotlight all of Lai's positive traits. It made the book feel lopsided, and I was left feeling slightly unsatisfied about this.
I don't regret the read, but I was always checking my page count, and was glad to be finished.
March 9, 2025
What's odd about this biography, is that because the subject is extremely Catholic and indeed embracing his faith even more now that he is in prison as a martyr for the cause of Hong Kong freedom; is that it reads like a book of a saint. However, it feels a bit like the less savory parts of Jimmy Lai are glossed over - a couple of vague references to making money off of connecting people to prostitutes early in his career, and having prostitute reviews as a regular column that seemed responsible for 35% of his newspaper's sales at one point. Lai also regularly ignored or fought against any kind of social liberalism, mostly speaking up in favor of unfettered capitalism.
All that being said, it is of course interesting to read about someone willing to go to jail for their beliefs, especially when Hong Kong changed so dramatically and so quickly. His acceptance and patience in prison is an interesting example of a fierce conservative capitalist fighting a very large country and its National Security Law imposed on Hong Kong.
All that being said, it is of course interesting to read about someone willing to go to jail for their beliefs, especially when Hong Kong changed so dramatically and so quickly. His acceptance and patience in prison is an interesting example of a fierce conservative capitalist fighting a very large country and its National Security Law imposed on Hong Kong.
June 28, 2025
This book captured Jimmy Lai's transformation from arriving in Hong Kong with nothing as a teenager, to successful businessman, to political activist. It was both inspiring and heartbreaking, especially knowing how it all ends. I really enjoyed reading about how he used his business success for political activism, like printing faces of activists on Giordano Tshirts in 1989 and insisting on running Apple Daily as a free press.
What I found interesting was reading about someone I don't entirely agree with but still respect. I like his focus on his faith, his US Republican connections, and traditional views on relationships. But his commitment to Hong Kong's freedom was undeniable ("I came here with nothing, the freedom of this place has given me everything.. Maybe it's time I paid back for that freedom by fighting for it" :(( ). I enjoyed being able to critique Lai while also admiring his courage.
4 stars because the book felt limited by the author's personal relationship with Lai - which didn't seem to be much. Maybe I'm just not a huge fan of biographies.
What I found interesting was reading about someone I don't entirely agree with but still respect. I like his focus on his faith, his US Republican connections, and traditional views on relationships. But his commitment to Hong Kong's freedom was undeniable ("I came here with nothing, the freedom of this place has given me everything.. Maybe it's time I paid back for that freedom by fighting for it" :(( ). I enjoyed being able to critique Lai while also admiring his courage.
4 stars because the book felt limited by the author's personal relationship with Lai - which didn't seem to be much. Maybe I'm just not a huge fan of biographies.
August 14, 2025
Interesting bio. Not bad overall. Besides the common people, the communist gov also hates rich people. So even rich doesn't protect them I guess. I wasn't too surprised by what I read though. I expected some beat them down swashbuckler story and it was more just like a predictable riches to rags to riches to rags lol story so there wasn't much magic to it imo. No real courage presented on Lai's part. Even though he opposed the Chinese government as much as he did, he still backed off and closed his businesses, told his staff to worry about themselves, stocked the remainder of his money in other countries as if it mattered when he was in jail. So basically he left with his tail between his legs. So idk that I was very impressed if we're just talking dramatic story potential lol This was a very realistic story tho for what its worth so it was insightful to read
June 25, 2025
I'll admit the book is a bit dry ... it is not challenging to listen to because of it. but it is simply a factual recounting of Lai's life.
It's an important book to draw attention to his fight for freedom for Hong Kong.
I'm glad I read this after "Amoung the braves". as it delves into one of the figures presented in Amoung the braves. I recommend that book as well (and maybe before this one).
the world is fortunate to have people like Lai willing to stand up for rights, including by being jailed. the book draws parallels to others who have been jailed in support of freedom.
It's an important book to draw attention to his fight for freedom for Hong Kong.
I'm glad I read this after "Amoung the braves". as it delves into one of the figures presented in Amoung the braves. I recommend that book as well (and maybe before this one).
the world is fortunate to have people like Lai willing to stand up for rights, including by being jailed. the book draws parallels to others who have been jailed in support of freedom.
July 6, 2025
I'm very glad I took the time to learn about Jimmy Lai's life. It's amazing how he came from very humble beginnings to become a billionaire and more importantly how he's risked it all multiple times for his convictions, specially his last few years. I hope President Trump will help get his release from prison in China.
March 17, 2025
Jimmy Lai’s rags to riches story is astonishing. From factory worker to retail entrepreneur to media magnate— this outspoken critic of China is now a political prisoner and sits in solitary confinement in a Hong Kong jail. It’s a devastating and cautionary tale.
June 11, 2025
This book could be a little slow but I really appreciated the deep river into Jimmy Lai’s life and I was very inspired by his monastic approach to imprisonment and opposition. I would like to be more like Jimmy Lai
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December 5, 2024Free Press
January 25, 2025
Notwithstanding the borderline hagiography vibe, some clunky writing and overuse of the word notwithstanding, a fascinating and critically important story.
July 18, 2025
Very interesting subject. I was fascinated by this man, his views and his contributions. However the writing is dry and left a lot to be desired. It goes on and on with a lot of names and quotes.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews