Video Game Tycoon Who Was Producing Netflix Show With ‘Game Of Thrones’ Duo Dies After Alleged Poisoning

A Chinese billionaire video game tycoon and Netflix producer is dead following an alleged poisoning by a coworker.

Lin Qi, 39, died just over a week after he was hospitalized on Dec. 16, National Public Radio reports. A Shanghai police press release states that he was "likely poisoned."

Lin was CEO of the billion-dollar video game company Yoozoo, which created the 2019 “Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming” game. At the time of his death, Lin was adapting the Chinese science fiction novel "The Three-Body Problem," into a Netflix television series with “Game of Thrones” producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

Lin checked himself into a hospital with acute symptoms resembling an illness, Variety reported. While Yoozoo originally stated that he appeared to be in stable condition and making progress, Lin died on Christmas day.

A 39-year-old man with the surname of Xu was arrested in Shanghai on Christmas Eve for “allegedly poisoning” Lin, a police press release states. Police refer to the suspect “one of Lin’s colleagues.”

Alleged infighting and rivalry at Yoozoo has been cited as a possible motive for the murder, National Public Radio reports. 

While initial reports indicated that Lin may have been poisoned through a tea, The China Economic Weekly — which has connections to the ruling Communist Party —  speculated that he have been poisoned by medication, Variety reports. The weekly outlet reported that he may have been killed in “work disputes” after the suspect’s salary was cut.

Following the tycoon’s death, Yoozoo put out a statement which read, “You saw through what was imperfect but still believed in beauty; encountered unkindness but still believed in kindness. Together, we will continue to be kind, continue to believe in beauty, and continue to fight against all that is unkind,” according to Variety.

Netflix has not immediately responded to Oxygen.com's request for comment.