Huobi Founder Li Lin Unmasked as Buyer Behind Historic London Mega-Mansion
The secretive buyer behind one of London’s most prestigious private estates has finally been revealed as Chinese cryptocurrency billionaire Li Lin, according to a report by the Financial Times.
Li, who founded the digital asset exchange Huobi, acquired The Holme in Regent’s Park for roughly £139 million (about $180 million) in late 2024. Less than two years later, he parted with the property for around £190 million ($245 million), netting a paper gain of approximately £51 million ($66 million), or 37%.
A Crown Jewel in Regent’s Park
Built in 1818, The Holme is widely considered one of the United Kingdom’s most iconic private residences. The neoclassical mansion spans approximately 40 bedrooms and four acres of manicured grounds, situated adjacent to Winfield House, the official residence of the U.S. ambassador to the U.K.
Because the underlying land belongs to the Crown Estate, the transaction involved a long-term leasehold rather than a freehold interest. The estate previously belonged to members of the Saudi royal family before falling into receivership following a loan default.
When the property sold in December 2024, U.K. Land Registry records connected the purchase to Zedra Trust Company, a registered corporate trustee. The ultimate beneficial owner remained hidden, underscoring persistent loopholes in British disclosure rules that allow offshore trust vehicles to shield high-net-worth real estate buyers from public registers.
The mansion traded hands again this year in one of the capital’s largest residential transactions on record. British media identified the new buyer as Abbas Sajwani, son of Emirati property developer Hussain Sajwani, founder of DAMAC Properties.
From Crypto Exchange to Family Office
Li launched Huobi in 2013, steering it into one of the world’s most dominant cryptocurrency trading venues before facing tightening scrutiny over capital transparency and governance. After Beijing enacted a sweeping ban on digital asset trading in 2021, Huobi withdrew from mainland China.
In 2022, Li sold his controlling stake in the platform, which was subsequently rebranded as HTX under the stewardship of crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun. HTX has since weathered multiple cyberattacks, legal disputes with British regulators, and scrutiny linked to Russian sanctions compliance.
Following his departure from the exchange, Li channeled his wealth into Avenir Group, his Hong Kong-based family office. Avenir has grown into a major institutional player in digital assets, holding approximately $908 million in BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund by late 2025, according to Reuters.
Li also serves as the largest shareholder of Hong Kong-listed Bitfire Group, which recently reached an agreement to acquire Avenir’s investment team and proprietary trading infrastructure to expand institutional asset management services.