The Tycoon Who Had a Secret Life as an Alleged Scam Kingpin

On Chen Zhi’s superyacht it was frequently a party night. Techno music boomed from the professional DJ station, while vintage Cuban cigars and aged Macallan whisky flowed freely. Guests, which in recent years included Cambodian politicians and wealthy businessmen from Singapore and Taiwan, mingled with hostesses recruited from karaoke bars, according to a person who attended the gatherings.

These hedonistic events were just one of the ways in which Chen, a lavish gift and favor giver, carefully constructed a network of such influence that he seemed untouchable.

In his adopted home of Cambodia he built himself up as a benevolent ...