Billionaire Aston Villa and Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Wesley Edens has been identified as the victim of an alleged $1.2 billion extortion scheme following a brief romantic relationship. According to the Wall Street Journal, Changli 'Sophia' Luo, a 46-year-old China-born woman, has been charged with four counts, including blackmail, extortion, and destruction of records.
Luo was arrested in June 2025 at JFK Airport while attempting to board a flight to China. She has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges and is currently free on a $500,000 bond under home detention. Her trial is expected to take place in New York later this year.
Background of the Case
Edens, who divorced his longtime wife in 2021, was first contacted by Luo on LinkedIn in 2022. At the time, Luo had founded a nonprofit organization that conducted interviews with entrepreneurs and environmentalists. During their third meeting in June 2023, prosecutors allege that Edens and Luo had sexual relations at her apartment, which subsequently sparked the alleged extortion plot.
Court records indicate that Luo threatened to share explicit photos and videos of her sexual encounter with Edens unless he paid her more than $1 billion. She even allegedly wrote him love letters, with one stating: 'I have been restraining my feeling for you, as I do love you from the bottom of my heart,' as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Evidence and Investigation
In May 2024, FBI agents reportedly discovered two phones hidden in Luo's Manhattan apartment—one in a laundry basket and another in a box of sanitary pads. Prosecutors claim that one of the devices contained pornographic videos and images with Edens' face superimposed onto another man's body.
Edens is the co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and co-owns Premier League soccer team Aston Villa through his V Sports company, alongside Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris and American investment firm Atairos.
