The triad boss who turned a movie set into a personal power play
In short: In 1997, Wan Kuok-koi, the notorious 'Broken Tooth Koi,' did something unprecedented. After being denied permission to film a movie scene on the Macau-Taipa Bridge, the 14K triad leader simply closed the bridge himself, halting traffic for two hours to ensure his cinematic vision was realized.
Wan Kuok-koi's rise through the 14K triad was marked by extreme violence and high-profile defiance. His ascent involved a year-long turf war triggered by an assignment to eliminate his boss, Mo-Ding Ping. By the late 1990s, Wan had amassed significant influence, earning an estimated $6 million per month from his legal gambling establishments. His notoriety was so great that in early 1997, an unsigned letter warned the press that mentioning him would result in violence. His early years were spent surviving in Macau's slums. His career was further boosted by working under the gangster Ng Wai.
His cinematic ambitions culminated in the 1998 film 'Casino,' based on his own life. Wan was deeply involved in the production, even using his influence to facilitate filming on the Macau-Taipa Bridge despite government denials. However, his momentum was halted in May 1998 when he was arrested for illegal gambling, loan-sharking, and an attempted car bomb assassination of a police chief. The movie featured actor Simon Yam in the lead role. His legal operations eventually allowed him to take over Wai's entire criminal network.
After serving a prison sentence that was eventually reduced from 15 years to 13 years and 10 months, Wan re-emerged in the digital age. He has since been linked to various complex financial schemes, including a 2017 cryptocurrency initial coin offering for 'Dragon Coin' that reportedly raised $320 million. More recently, his activities have shifted toward Southeast Asia, where he has been involved in developments in Myanmar and Laos, amidst growing concerns regarding transnational organized crime and cybercrime fraud factories in the Golden Triangle. He also founded the World Hongmen History and Culture Association. Recently, the US Treasury sanctioned him under the Global Magnitsky Act.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Wan Kuok-koi
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