Man with cancer in China hides wealth, uses US$97,000 in donations to buy flat

A 29-year-old cancer patient in China who sought to raise 900,000 yuan (US$125,000) online for medical treatment has sparked suspicions of embezzlement after he posted photos of a new flat.

The post came shortly after he had raised more than 700,000 yuan (US$97,000) in just a few days.

The man, surnamed Lan, from Yichang in Hubei province, central China, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a rare cancer, and began his fundraising campaign on a popular crowdfunding platform on October 14.

He introduced himself as a 2020 graduate from Nanjing University in Jiangsu province, north of Shanghai, who worked at a major internet company in southern China’s Guangzhou before being diagnosed with cancer.

A formal disease certificate confirmed his diagnosis, noting that “the disease is difficult to treat when it recurs”.

The man revealed that his family’s finances were drained by his father’s medical bills and subsequent death, leaving them with significant debts.