Gu Kailai Chinese lawyer, entrepreneur Date of Birth: 15.11.1958 Country: China

1. Biography of Gu Kailai
2. Early Life and Education
3. Legal Career and Scandal
4. Conviction and Sentencing

Biography of Gu Kailai

Gu Kailai is a Chinese lawyer and entrepreneur, as well as the second wife of former member of the Chinese Politburo, Bo Xilai. In August 2012, she was convicted for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.

Early Life and Education

Gu Kailai is the youngest of five daughters of a Chinese military officer. Her father held several high-ranking positions in the Chinese government during the establishment of Chinese communism, but was later arrested during the Cultural Revolution. Gu herself faced hardships during this time and had to work in a butcher shop and textile factory for a period of time.

She met Bo Xilai in 1984 during a trip to Jin County, where Xilai was serving as the Communist Party secretary. They got married and had one son, Bo Guagua. Gu Kailai pursued higher education at Peking University, where she studied law and international relations.

Legal Career and Scandal

After completing her education, Gu Kailai became a successful lawyer and even established her own legal group in Beijing. She worked on several important cases, including becoming the first Chinese lawyer to win a civil lawsuit in the United States while representing several firms from Dalian. Gu Kailai also authored and published several books during her career.

In March 2012, Gu became involved in a national scandal surrounding her husband's deputy, Wang Lijun. It was alleged that Wang sought refuge at the U.S. consulate in Chengdu and had important information about illegal activities of Chinese officials, including revealing a conflict between Gu Kailai and Neil Heywood, who died in Chongqing under unclear circumstances at the time. According to Wang's testimony, Heywood was poisoned by Kailai.

Bo Xilai was removed from his position in March 2012, and investigations into Gu Kailai's involvement began. On April 10, 2012, she was detained and handed over to authorities. Interestingly, during this time, the press began referring to her as "Bo Gu Kailai," which is unusual as married Chinese women typically retain their own surname. Gu Kailai was officially charged with Heywood's murder on July 26, 2012, with the prosecutors claiming to have significant and irrefutable evidence.

Conviction and Sentencing

Gu Kailai stood trial on August 9, 2012, where she claimed to have acted in a state of mental breakdown and was willing to accept any punishment handed down by the authorities. On August 20, 2012, Gu Kailai was sentenced to "suspended death penalty." This sentence means that after two years of additional investigation, the highest punishment may either be confirmed or more commonly commuted to life imprisonment. However, considering her health condition, Gu Kailai could potentially be released in as little as nine years.