China teen spends over S$3.2 million on livestream tips & toys, bankrupts father's business

A 19-year-old woman in Zhengzhou, Henan in China allegedly diverted more than CN¥17 million (about S$3.2 million) from her family’s company on livestream tips and collectible toys over 16 months, pushing the business to the brink of collapse.

Her father has since said he plans to make a police report in hopes of recovering some of the losses through legal channels, according to The Standard HK.

Spending spree lasted about 16 months

The woman, Xiao Meng, had reportedly been helping manage finances at the family’s cold-chain supply business after dropping out of vocational school.

Her father, Zhu, said the company had been operating for around 30 years before the losses surfaced.

Bank records showed her online spending escalated between July 2024 and November 2025, with transactions taking place from morning until late at night.

According to The Standard HK, her daily spending frequently exceeded CN¥23,000 (S$4,300), with some single transactions reaching as high as CN¥100,000 (S$18,600).

In total, she allegedly spent nearly CN¥11 million (S$2.03 million) tipping livestream hosts and more than CN¥6 million (S$1.11 million) buying “blind box” collectibles.

She was also reportedly among the top donors across several livestream channels.

Company now facing bankruptcy and heavy debt

By the time the issue was discovered, the family business was on the brink of collapse.

Zhu said earlier incidents of overspending had already been discovered, but his daughter had promised to stop and the family did not put stricter safeguards in place.

He added that long working hours and an earlier divorce meant he had not been able to provide enough supervision or emotional support.

“The family believes a lack of emotional support led Xiao Meng to seek validation from online streamers,” The Standard HK reported.

Attempts to recover money unsuccessful

Efforts to reclaim the funds from streamers were unsuccessful.

According to The Standard HK, the MCN (multi-channel network) agency representing the streamers declined to negotiate and referred the family to the livestreaming platform instead.

The platform said it could not verify the source of the funds but would cooperate with any official investigation.

When family members attempted to confiscate her phone, Xiao Meng reportedly threatened suicide.

Her father also said she appeared more concerned about protecting her online relationships than the possible legal consequences.

Father plans to report daughter to police

Legal experts said Xiao Meng could face full criminal liability as an adult if the funds are classified as misappropriated company money.

Possible charges could include embezzlement or misappropriation of funds, which carry potential prison sentences of more than 10 years for large sums.

Lawyers also noted that if the money is legally determined to be stolen funds, streamers, agencies and platforms involved may be required to return it.

After exhausting civil recovery options, Zhu said reporting the case to authorities may be the only remaining way to recover losses and prevent the family business from collapsing entirely.

Top image via Shanghai Daily, The Standard HK