7am The son of Hong Kong’s jailed democracy hero
Feb 10, 2026
Sebastien Lai, son of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai and an activist in exile, recounts his father’s rise from refugee to Apple Daily founder. He discusses the paper’s defiant journalism. He describes the national security law, repeated arrests, the 20-year sentence and harsh prison conditions. He speaks about international reactions and his fight from the UK for his father’s release.
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From Refugee To Media Mogul
- Sebastien Lai recounts his father Jimmy Lai's rise from a child refugee to founder of Giordano and media mogul.
- Jimmy built a multi‑billion dollar brand and used his success to defend Hong Kong's freedoms.
Apple Daily's Founding Moment
- Jimmy Lai started Apple Daily after Tiananmen to defend Hong Kong's freedoms and inform citizens.
- The inaugural editorial framed information as choice and choice as freedom.
Pressures Before The Arrests
- Apple Daily kept publishing despite threats, firebombing, and intimidation until the 2020 national security law.
- Authorities arrested Jimmy multiple times and finally detained him on New Year's Eve 2020.