Shi Yongxin, a 60-year-old cleric, is accused of pocketing donations from Buddhists, yet he has so far remained completely silent. Reports also claim that the Buddhist monk broke his vow of celibacy and fathered a child.
These are serious allegations against Shi Yongxin, the Shaolin monk who is now under strong suspicion of being a millionaire fraudster. The man who brought the Shaolin Temple to worldwide fame with spectacular kung fu performances is alleged to have diverted funds from multi-million-dollar projects into his own pocket. But that is not the only accusation: it is also claimed that the monk repeatedly broke his celibacy vows and fathered at least one child, violating Buddhist rules.
Despite these charges dominating public discourse in China’s state media, the popular Yongxin has not issued any official statement. Founded in 495, the Shaolin Monastery has now become the focus of controversy, with newspapers branding Yongxin the controversial nickname
“CEO Monk” in the alleged multi-million-dollar fraud story. This moniker reflects the fact that the accused monk turned the strict monastery into a global business with kung fu tours, sensational shows, and online merchandise sales. Incidentally, this is not the first time Yongxin has faced such fierce accusations.
The current claims are strikingly similar to those made over a decade ago, when it was whispered behind closed doors that Shi had fathered multiple children and also embezzled donations from devout Buddhists. At that time, he disappeared from the public eye for a long period, waiting until the allegations eventually faded away.
