Di Fei

Di Fei is best known as the central figure in one of the most significant AdTech fraud cases in China's advertising industry, involving the alleged diversion of approximately 1.2 billion yuan ($176 million) in media rebates from clients during his tenure at GroupM China. As a senior digital and investment leader at GroupM China — the media investment arm of WPP and the largest media buying group operating in China — he held influence over programmatic strategy and digital investment decisions across major agency brands, operating at the intersection of global ad-tech standards and China's dominant platform ecosystem including Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance. Di Fei's career spanned roughly 15 years in China's digital media and programmatic advertising landscape, during which he rose to a senior leadership position overseeing digital capabilities and media investment strategy. The alleged scheme, which prosecutors say ran from approximately 2015 to 2022, involved Di Fei and colleagues Yao Lan and Hong Xin systematically redirecting media rebate income that should have been returned to clients. A Chinese court convicted him in March 2026 and sentenced him to life imprisonment in June 2026; his two co-defendants received sentences of 14.5 years and four years respectively. Di Fei has appealed the verdict, contending that the funds in question were rebates managed on behalf of WPP rather than personal bribes, a distinction that reflects broader industry debates about transparency and rebate practices in media buying. The appeal outcome is anticipated in late 2026 or early 2027. He is no longer affiliated with GroupM China or WPP Media, and his current activities and whereabouts are not publicly known. The case has drawn significant attention to rebate transparency, agency accountability, and programmatic governance standards across China's AdTech industry.

Last updated Jul 22, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment