TOPIC

/ company

Next Digital

Next Digital (formerly Next Media) was founded by high profile businessman Jimmy Lai, known for his support for democracy and criticism of China. It introduced tabloid-style journalism into Hong Kong and Taiwan, with the hugely successful Apple Daily. The group made a rare misstep by entering Taiwan’s saturated broadcasting market. In October 2012 it agreed to sell its loss-making Taiwan TV unit and to terminate its video-on-demand (VOD) services, but the deal fell through in March 2013.

Chairman / President

Jimmy Lai

CEO / Managing Director

Cheung Kim Hung

CFO / Finance Director

Chan Pui-man

Industry

Media, Publishing

Website

yimedia.com.tw

Headquarters address

8 Chun Ying Street, Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, New Territories, Hong Kong

Year founded

1990

Former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was found guilty of three counts of national security offences. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Jimmy Lai trial

Jimmy Lai’s ‘rabid hatred’ of party led him down ‘thorny path’: Hong Kong court

Judges find former media boss guilty of national security offences, dismissing his ‘inconsistent, contradictory and unreliable’ testimony.

16 minutes ago

Jimmy Lai trial

Jimmy Lai’s lawyers ask Hong Kong judges to discard testimony of ‘serial liar’

27 Aug 2025 - 6:26PM

Jimmy Lai trial

Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai admits donating to groups but denies having agenda

29 Nov 2024 - 1:04AMvideocam

Hong Kong courts

Jimmy Lai had final say on Apple Daily’s reportage, Hong Kong court hears

Former Apple Daily executive Chan Pui-man pushes back against defence’s argument that tabloid tycoon focused on management aspect of newspaper.

1 Mar 2024 - 12:04AM

Media mogul Jimmy Lai (centre) outside Kowloon City police station in 2020. The tycoon is currently facing two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and another concerning sedition. Photo: Felix Wong

Jimmy Lai trial

Lai’s ex-aide denies he turned prosecution witness after he met Hong Kong police

Cheung Kim-hung, former publisher of now-closed Apple Daily newspaper, tells court he opted to testify against former boss to ‘tell the truth’.

2 Feb 2024 - 5:26PM

Jimmy Lai trial

Hong Kong mogul Jimmy Lai’s lawyers challenge ex-top aide’s testimony in court

Cheung Kim-hung’s sworn statement in 2021 runs contrary to his court testimony that Apple Daily ‘strictly adhered to the principle of editorial independence,’ defence says.

31 Jan 2024 - 4:40PM

Jimmy Lai trial

Witness can start testifying against ex-boss Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong court hears

Jimmy Lai’s legal team says the first major prosecution witness, former Apple Daily publisher Cheung Kim-hung, can provide testimony for the prosecution before Robert Pang cross-examines him.

9 Jan 2024 - 7:45PM

Jimmy Lai’s lawyers Robert Pang (right) and Marc Corlett head to court last week. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | Called difficult and ‘the other woman’: Yammie Lam’s screen career cut short

Hong Kong actress Yammie Lam rose to prominence in the 1980s but was dogged by tabloid newspapers and suffered personal blows that saw her career cut short. She died unexpectedly aged just 55 in 2018.

22 Dec 2023 - 7:15AMvideocam

HKEX

Jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai’s Next Digital to be delisted from Hong Kong bourse

Next Digital, the media company founded by jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, will be delisted from the Hong Kong stock exchange on January 12, a year and a half after the closure of its flagship newspaper Apple Daily.

5 Jan 2023 - 1:23PMvideocam

Hong Kong courts

China and US clash again after Jimmy Lai convicted of fraud by Hong Kong court

US State Department spokesman calls verdict ‘grossly unjust outcome’ and asks central government to respect ‘freedom of expression’.

11 Dec 2022 - 9:06PM

The former headquarters of Apple Daily in Tseung Kwan O. Photo: Winson Wong

Hong Kong politics

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai jailed for 5 years and 9 months in land lease fraud case

District Court sentences Jimmy Lai, 75, after tycoon was earlier found guilty of two counts of fraud.

12 Dec 2022 - 3:27PM

Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong media tycoon Lai could face 10-year management ban over fraud convictions

Judge tells Lai, 74, that ban on direction and management of businesses could be in addition to jail time.

24 Nov 2022 - 9:41PM

Hong Kong courts

6 ex-Apple Daily staff plead guilty to collusion over Hong Kong sanctions call

High Court records first convictions of news editors and media directors under Beijing-imposed legislation since it took effect in June 2020.

22 Nov 2022 - 8:04PMvideocam

Hong Kong national security law

Beijing bites back after US slams Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai’s fraud conviction

Beijing hits back after US criticises media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s fraud conviction and ‘deterioration in protection for human rights’.

28 Oct 2022 - 1:54AM

Media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying leaves by a Correctional Services Department prison vehicle after an earlier court appearance. Photo: Jelly Tse

Hong Kong politics

Beijing hits back at US senators’ remarks over conviction of Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai

China’s foreign ministry office in Hong Kong accuses US politicians of having ‘sinister intentions’ for city and call bipartisan statement proof of American collusion with newspaper owner Jimmy Lai.

26 Oct 2022 - 11:00PM

Beijing has struck back at remarks by US politicians over the recent conviction of media tycoon Jimmy Lai. Photo: Warton Li

Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai found guilty of fraud in office lease case

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, 74, was accused of covering up operations of Dico Consultants at Apple Daily’s headquarters in breach of its land lease conditions.

25 Oct 2022 - 9:27PM

Hong Kong courts

Jimmy Lai loses legal bid to block Hong Kong police access to content on phones

High Court judge hand-picked by city leader to oversee national security cases rules that the force is entitled to seize what would have been considered privileged material under common law.

30 Aug 2022 - 8:22PM

Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai’s fraud trial told office lease a civil matter

Lawyers for Lai and ex-Next Digital executive say firm’s violation of lease terms and defendants’ failure to disclose breach not enough to prove they intended to deceive.

24 Aug 2022 - 7:28PM

Media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrives at the District Court in a prison vehicle. Photo: Jelly Tse

Hong Kong courts

Former employee turns against Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai in fraud trial

Royston Chow, former senior executive of Next Digital, agrees to help prosecutors secure conviction of tycoon and former colleague, in return for exemption from criminal liability.

16 May 2022 - 8:09PM

Hong Kong courts

Jimmy Lai’s firm drops bid for return of 2.8 million files from Hong Kong police

By surrendering the files to police, liquidators of his Next Digital firm could end up giving prosecutors additional evidence.

5 May 2022 - 11:30PM

Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong prosecutors slap 3 Apple Daily-affiliated firms with sedition charge

Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited and AD Internet Limited have all been charged with sedition as part of an ongoing national security law case.

10 Feb 2022 - 8:08PM

Apple

‘No red money’ behind Hong Kong bid for Taiwan-based Apple Online

Kenny Wee says he is the sole owner of the company hoping to own the Taipei-based news site

14 Jan 2022 - 9:00PMvideocam

Kenny Wee, pictured in 2013, is the former operator of Metro Daily. Photo: CWH

Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai, 6 former employees hit with fresh sedition charge

The new charge alleges that the defendants conspired to print, publish, sell, offer for sale, distribute, display or reproduce seditious publications.

28 Dec 2021 - 7:25PM

Hong Kong media

Taiwan’s sister website of former Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily set for sale

Hong Kong liquidator for owner Next Digital, founded by jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai, is negotiating with potential buyers for Taiwan’s Apple Online, latter says.

27 Dec 2021 - 8:16PMvideocam

Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong court orders winding up of Jimmy Lai’s Next Digital

High Court makes order after government petitioned to close the 40-year-old company on public interest grounds.

15 Dec 2021 - 6:17PM

Next Digital is now subject to a High Court winding up order. Photo: Dickson Lee

Accounting and auditing

Hong Kong watchdog to start announcing investigations of ‘high public interest’

The Financial Reporting Council previously only announced the results of its investigations, but has in recent months made the public aware that it was initiating probes into the financial reports and auditors of companies such as China Evergrande Group, Next Digital and Convoy Global Holdings.

21 Nov 2021 - 10:00AMvideocam

Kelvin Wong Tin-yau, the FRC’s chairman. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Hong Kong national security law

Ex-Apple Daily publisher denied bail after prosecutors cite remarks from US, UK

Statements from the two governments criticising the national security law and condemning Apple Daily’s closure were evidence of collusion, prosecutors argued.

10 Nov 2021 - 11:39PM

Hong Kong courts

Provisional liquidators appointed ahead of Next Digital winding-up decision

Judge grants application from financial secretary to appoint pair from Ernst & Young Transactions ahead of winding-up petition hearing in December.

15 Oct 2021 - 8:09PM

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Next Digital

Jimmy Lai’s ‘rabid hatred’ of party led him down ‘thorny path’: Hong Kong court

Judges find former media boss guilty of national security offences, dismissing his ‘inconsistent, contradictory and unreliable’ testimony.

Jimmy Lai’s lawyers ask Hong Kong judges to discard testimony of ‘serial liar’

Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai admits donating to groups but denies having agenda

Jimmy Lai had final say on Apple Daily’s reportage, Hong Kong court hears

Former Apple Daily executive Chan Pui-man pushes back against defence’s argument that tabloid tycoon focused on management aspect of newspaper.

Lai’s ex-aide denies he turned prosecution witness after he met Hong Kong police

Cheung Kim-hung, former publisher of now-closed Apple Daily newspaper, tells court he opted to testify against former boss to ‘tell the truth’.

Hong Kong mogul Jimmy Lai’s lawyers challenge ex-top aide’s testimony in court

Cheung Kim-hung’s sworn statement in 2021 runs contrary to his court testimony that Apple Daily ‘strictly adhered to the principle of editorial independence,’ defence says.

Witness can start testifying against ex-boss Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong court hears

Jimmy Lai’s legal team says the first major prosecution witness, former Apple Daily publisher Cheung Kim-hung, can provide testimony for the prosecution before Robert Pang cross-examines him.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Profile | Called difficult and ‘the other woman’: Yammie Lam’s screen career cut short

Hong Kong actress Yammie Lam rose to prominence in the 1980s but was dogged by tabloid newspapers and suffered personal blows that saw her career cut short. She died unexpectedly aged just 55 in 2018.

Jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai’s Next Digital to be delisted from Hong Kong bourse

Next Digital, the media company founded by jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, will be delisted from the Hong Kong stock exchange on January 12, a year and a half after the closure of its flagship newspaper Apple Daily.

China and US clash again after Jimmy Lai convicted of fraud by Hong Kong court

US State Department spokesman calls verdict ‘grossly unjust outcome’ and asks central government to respect ‘freedom of expression’.

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai jailed for 5 years and 9 months in land lease fraud case

District Court sentences Jimmy Lai, 75, after tycoon was earlier found guilty of two counts of fraud.

Hong Kong media tycoon Lai could face 10-year management ban over fraud convictions

Judge tells Lai, 74, that ban on direction and management of businesses could be in addition to jail time.

6 ex-Apple Daily staff plead guilty to collusion over Hong Kong sanctions call

High Court records first convictions of news editors and media directors under Beijing-imposed legislation since it took effect in June 2020.

Beijing bites back after US slams Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai’s fraud conviction

Beijing hits back after US criticises media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s fraud conviction and ‘deterioration in protection for human rights’.

Beijing hits back at US senators’ remarks over conviction of Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai

China’s foreign ministry office in Hong Kong accuses US politicians of having ‘sinister intentions’ for city and call bipartisan statement proof of American collusion with newspaper owner Jimmy Lai.

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai found guilty of fraud in office lease case

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, 74, was accused of covering up operations of Dico Consultants at Apple Daily’s headquarters in breach of its land lease conditions.

Jimmy Lai loses legal bid to block Hong Kong police access to content on phones

High Court judge hand-picked by city leader to oversee national security cases rules that the force is entitled to seize what would have been considered privileged material under common law.

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai’s fraud trial told office lease a civil matter

Lawyers for Lai and ex-Next Digital executive say firm’s violation of lease terms and defendants’ failure to disclose breach not enough to prove they intended to deceive.

Former employee turns against Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai in fraud trial

Royston Chow, former senior executive of Next Digital, agrees to help prosecutors secure conviction of tycoon and former colleague, in return for exemption from criminal liability.

Jimmy Lai’s firm drops bid for return of 2.8 million files from Hong Kong police

By surrendering the files to police, liquidators of his Next Digital firm could end up giving prosecutors additional evidence.

Hong Kong prosecutors slap 3 Apple Daily-affiliated firms with sedition charge

Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited and AD Internet Limited have all been charged with sedition as part of an ongoing national security law case.

‘No red money’ behind Hong Kong bid for Taiwan-based Apple Online

Kenny Wee says he is the sole owner of the company hoping to own the Taipei-based news site

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai, 6 former employees hit with fresh sedition charge

The new charge alleges that the defendants conspired to print, publish, sell, offer for sale, distribute, display or reproduce seditious publications.

Taiwan’s sister website of former Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily set for sale

Hong Kong liquidator for owner Next Digital, founded by jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai, is negotiating with potential buyers for Taiwan’s Apple Online, latter says.

Hong Kong court orders winding up of Jimmy Lai’s Next Digital

High Court makes order after government petitioned to close the 40-year-old company on public interest grounds.

Hong Kong watchdog to start announcing investigations of ‘high public interest’

The Financial Reporting Council previously only announced the results of its investigations, but has in recent months made the public aware that it was initiating probes into the financial reports and auditors of companies such as China Evergrande Group, Next Digital and Convoy Global Holdings.

Ex-Apple Daily publisher denied bail after prosecutors cite remarks from US, UK

Statements from the two governments criticising the national security law and condemning Apple Daily’s closure were evidence of collusion, prosecutors argued.

Provisional liquidators appointed ahead of Next Digital winding-up decision

Judge grants application from financial secretary to appoint pair from Ernst & Young Transactions ahead of winding-up petition hearing in December.

Profile | Called difficult and ‘the other woman’: Yammie Lam’s screen career cut short