What we know about Greg Lui? California tech owner accused of routing $300 million in high-end servers with US-made AI chips to China

A 38-year-old owner of a technology company from San Gabriel, California, has been arrested on federal charges. The authorities allege that he smuggled more than $300 million worth of export-controlled computer servers containing US-made GPUs to China, ‘commonly used for Super Intelligence (SI) applications,’ the Justice Department said.

Greg Lui, also known as Yiu Kong Lui, is the owner of Earthmade Computer Inc., a technology company based in City of Industry, California. He is expected to appear in federal court in downtown Los Angeles on Friday.

According to New York Post’s reporting, Lui was arrested after FBI agents tracked him while he was driving a white-wrapped Tesla Cybertruck from his mansion in San Gabriel to Earthmade office. He was then handcuffed at gunpoint shortly after arriving at work, and couldn't utter a word.

What we know about Greg Lui

According to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday, October 1, Lui used Earthmade Computer Inc. to purchase and ship high-end computer servers containing GPUs used for “Super Intelligence” applications. A new name for Artificial Intelligence by President Trump.

The indictment alleges that Lui knew the actual end users of the servers were in China, despite US export rules restricting the shipment of certain high-end technology there without government approval.

From 2023 to 2024, prosecutors say Lui and his co-conspirators found a way around those restrictions by routing the equipment through countries including Malaysia and Singapore.

“This defendant allegedly used false paperwork and shipments through third countries to smuggle more than $300 million in export-controlled computer servers to China. We will aggressively prosecute those who put our national security at risk for profit,” First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said.

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On social media, however, some people claimed that he was born in China, although there is not a lot of information available related to this. No public sources, including DOJ documents, news reports, or his LinkedIn, disclose where Greg Lui (Yiu Kong Lui) went to high school or college.

In May this year, the Arcadia (California) mayor was charged with being an agent of the Chinese Communist Party; later, she pleaded guilty to running ‘pro-PRC propaganda in the United States.’

What charges does Greg Lui face?

Lui faces three federal charges: conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act and Export Administration Regulations, outbound smuggling, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The FBI said its investigation found that Lui allegedly sold hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of American “Super Intelligence technology” to the Chinese government.

If convicted, Lui faces a maximum of 50 years in federal prison on all the counts.