Huobi founder Li Lin identified as seller of £190m London mansion

Li Lin, the founder of the cryptocurrency exchange Huobi, has been identified as the actual owner of The Holme, a prominent luxury estate in London’s Regent’s Park. According to investigations by the Financial Times, Li acquired the property in December 2024 for approximately £139 million through a complex trust structure involving the Zedra Trust Company.

Li sold the estate in June 2025 for approximately £190 million to Abbas Sajwani, the son of a UAE real estate tycoon, realizing a profit of roughly £51 million within less than two years. The transaction highlights ongoing discussions regarding transparency in the UK real estate market, as trust structures can sometimes obscure the identities of ultimate beneficial owners.

Since exiting his controlling stake in Huobi in 2022 for an estimated $1 billion, Li has shifted his focus toward institutional digital asset management. Through his Hong Kong-based family office, Avenir Group, he has become a significant investor in Bitcoin ETFs and continues to manage substantial digital asset holdings.