Billionaire Aston Villa and Milwaukee Bucks owner, Wesley Edens, was the victim of an alleged $1 billion extortion scheme following a sordid love affair.
According to the Wall Street Journal, China-born Changli ‘Sophia’ Luo, 46, has been charged with four counts, including blackmail, extortion, and destruction of records.
A trial is expected to take place in New York later this year. Luo, who was arrested in June 2025 at JFK airport while trying to board a flight to China, has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges. She is currently free on a $500,000 bond and has been placed under home detention.
The American billionaire, who divorced his longtime wife in 2021, was first contacted by Luo on LinkedIn in 2022. She had founded a nonprofit organization that conducted interviews with entrepreneurs and environmentalists.
During their third meeting, in June 2023, prosecutors say Edens and Luo had s£x at her apartment, and that sparked the alleged extortion scheme.
Court records allege Luo threatened to share photos and videos of her having s£x with Edens, who is co-owner of Aston Villa, if he did not pay her more than $1 billion.
She even allegedly wrote him love letters and said in one: ‘I have been restraining my feeling for you, as I do love you from the bottom of my heart,’ according to the Wall Street Journal report of the filing.
Edens, who divorced his longtime wife in 2021, was first contacted by Luo on LinkedIn in 2022. She had founded a nonprofit organization that conducted interviews with entrepreneurs and environmentalists.
During their third meeting, in June 2023, prosecutors say Edens and Luo had sex at her apartment, and that sparked the alleged extortion scheme.
Court records allege Luo threatened to share photos and videos of her having sex with Edens, who is co-owner of Aston Villa, if he did not pay her more than $1 billion. She even allegedly wrote him love letters and said in one: ‘I have been restraining my feeling for you, as I do love you from the bottom of my heart,’ according to the Wall Street Journal report of the filing.
In May last year, FBI agents reportedly found two phones – one in a laundry basket and another in a box of sanitary pads – at Luo’s Manhattan apartment.
One is alleged to have pornographic videos and images that had Eden’s face on another man’s body stored on it, prosecutors said.
Edens is the co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and also co-owns Premier League soccer team Aston Villa through his V Sports company, which he shares with Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris and American investment company Atairos.