A story that sounds like a movie script has captured attention in China, where a cryptocurrency billionaire claims he paid $4.5 million in dowry to marry popular actress Jing Tian, ​​but is now demanding the money back after their relationship fell apart. At the center of the story is Justin Sun, 36, the founder of blockchain company Tron. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Sun has filed a lawsuit seeking the return of 30 million yuan, about $4.5 million, that he says he gave to Jing Tian and her family as dowry as part of the arranged marriage.

The story was initially met with skepticism, partly because of Sun's past outlandish statements and actions. He has been known for several viral episodes, including postponing a $4.6 million charity lunch with Warren Buffett and buying a banana on display as a work of art for $6.2 million, which he then ate. Doubts were also heightened by the way Sun presented the story. In a lengthy post on the social network X, titled "My Girlfriend Jing Tian," he claimed to have been in love with the actress since college and that they had rented a movie theater to watch "Zootopia 2" together. Sun also wrote that he had sent the actress's family $4.5 million as a dowry before the wedding and shared personal details of their relationship.

But at the end of the article he placed a statement calling the entire story fictional, writing that any resemblance to real people or events was coincidental. However, subsequent developments showed that there was also a real legal process behind the story. That same day, well-known lawyer Zhang Qihuai announced on Chinese social media that a court had accepted Sun’s lawsuit, which seeks the return of 30 million yuan from Jing Tian and her parents. The next day, Jing Tian published a message in which, without directly mentioning the case, she declared that she had “bad judgment” for men, but that she “would never sell her love for money.” She added that she believed in the law and that justice would prevail in the end.

In written responses to media inquiries, sent through his lawyer, Sun confirmed the existence of the lawsuit and said it was related to the recovery of the amount paid as a dowry. “We met with the intention of marriage,” he said. According to Sun, while the couple was preparing for medical procedures to have a child in the United States, the other party demanded $50 million. He said he refused to pay and then communication between them broke down. “The engagement could no longer continue,” he said. The story has attracted extraordinary attention in China because of the combination of the billionaire’s wealth, the actress’s fame and the tradition of dowry in marriage.

Justin Sun grew up in China, earned a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and founded Tron in 2017. According to Forbes, his net worth is estimated at about $8.5 billion. In 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued him for alleged market manipulation, a case that was settled this year without admitting or denying wrongdoing. On the other hand, Jing Tian, ​​38, is one of the few Chinese actresses with a career in Hollywood. She starred opposite Matt Damon in "The Great Wall," and has also appeared in "Kong: Skull Island" and "Pacific Rim Uprising." Despite Sun's statement that his published account was fiction, many people in China treated the story as truth. There was also widespread criticism on social media of the billionaire for publishing private details of his relationship with the actress.

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