Who is Chu Dang Khoa, the "diamond tycoon" who was recently arrested?

Hanoi [Vietnam], March 14: Before his arrest, Chu Dang Khoa was known as a "diamond tycoon" and had been rumored to be romantically involved with several beauties in the Vietnamese showbiz industry.
As Thanh Nien newspaper reported, the Center for Nature Education (ENV) announced that tycoon Chu Dang Khoa has been arrested in South Africa. The international community believes that Chu Dang Khoa is the "kingpin" of one of the world's most notorious wildlife trafficking rings, accused of smuggling large quantities of rhino horns and tiger bones from Africa to Asia.
This news subsequently attracted attention from the online community. Although active in the business world, this tycoon's identity had previously been linked to rumors of romantic relationships with several beautiful women in the Vietnamese showbiz industry .
Chu Dang Khoa is a businessman from Nghe An province, widely known as the "diamond tycoon." He is the son of Ms. Chu Thi Thanh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Thien Minh Duc Group Joint Stock Company. As Thanh Nien newspaper reported, this company has consistently been among the top taxpayers in Nghe An province for many years. Notably, in 2021, Thien Minh Duc Group Joint Stock Company was the highest taxpayer in the province with 1,820 billion VND.
In 2025, the Investigation Agency of the Ministry of Public Security issued a decision to initiate a criminal case for embezzlement of assets; illegal printing, issuance, and trading of invoices and documents for collecting state budget revenue occurring at Thien Minh Duc Group and related units, and simultaneously prosecuted 7 defendants, including Ms. Chu Thi Thanh - Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and General Director.
Back in 2016, Chu Dang Khoa was a name that attracted attention due to a romantic scandal involving a famous female singer. After the controversy, he apologized, but this apology continued to stir public opinion. Prior to that, a series of photos of this beauty walking hand-in-hand with a "diamond tycoon" in a shopping mall during the recent Lunar New Year were leaked online, sparking widespread discussion.
Moreover, Chu Dang Khoa was also rumored to be in a romantic relationship with a beauty queen. However, in an interview with Thanh Nien newspaper, the 1996-born beauty clarified the situation. She shared: "In showbiz, out of 10 rumors, a few are true. As for the rumor about the wealthy businessman Chu Dang Khoa, I deny it."According to reports, after news of Chu Dang Khoa's arrest spread on social media, keywords related to him were searched on Google Trends. Keywords such as "Chu Dang Khoa the tycoon," "diamond tycoon," and "Who is Chu Dang Khoa?" saw a surge in searches. Among these, keywords related to a Vietnamese showbiz beauty also attracted attention from netizens.
Source: Thanh Nein Newspaper