Li Shengwu
| 李绳武 (Lǐ Shéngwǔ) | |
| |
| Occupation | Economist, Harvard University |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Party | Not politically affiliated; grandson of Lee Kuan Yew |
| Born | 4 February 1985[1]
|
| Alma mater | University of Oxford (BA, MPhil); Stanford University (PhD)
|
Li Shengwu (born 4 February 1985) is a Singaporean economist based in the United States and a member of the Lee family, Singapore's most prominent political dynasty. He is the son of Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern, the grandson of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, and the nephew of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.[2] He is a professor of economics at Harvard University, and has since 2017 been at the centre of a public dispute with the Singapore government arising from the wider Lee family feud over 38 Oxley Road, culminating in a contempt-of-court conviction and his continued residence outside Singapore.
Family background
Li was born in Singapore in 1985, the eldest of three sons of Lee Hsien Yang — the younger son of Lee Kuan Yew — and Lee Suet Fern.[1][2] Unlike his father and grandfather, Li spells the family surname (李) using Hanyu Pinyin romanisation, "Li", rather than the traditional "Lee".[3] He briefly studied economics before pursuing an academic career, joining Harvard University's faculty in 2018 and receiving tenure in 2024.[2][4]
The Oxley Road dispute and contempt of court case
After Lee Kuan Yew's death in 2015, a public rift emerged within the Lee family between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his younger siblings, Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling, over the fate of the family home at 38 Oxley Road, which Lee Kuan Yew's will had directed be demolished.[5] When the dispute became public in 2017, Li Shengwu made a private Facebook post — later leaked — criticising what he described as a "pliant court system" in Singapore and a government prepared to use legal action against critics.[6][7] Singapore's Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) subsequently obtained court permission to bring contempt-of-court proceedings against him, notwithstanding that the post was made privately and Li was, at the time, resident overseas and not a party to the underlying family dispute.[7] Commentators noted the case was widely seen as connected to the broader Lee family feud rather than an isolated contempt matter.[8] The AGC offered to discontinue proceedings if Li issued an apology admitting contempt of court and acknowledging that his statements were "false and baseless". Li refused, maintaining he had committed no offence and calling the proceedings "politically motivated".[6] The case was resolved in 2020 when Li agreed to pay a S$15,000 fine, while continuing to dispute that his post had been unlawful; he said he paid the fine "to buy some peace and quiet".[8] The AGC, for its part, said Li had "contrived excuses for running away" from the proceedings.[6]
Continued residence outside Singapore
Li has continued to reside in the United States since the case was resolved. In a 2023 interview, he said he feared arrest if he returned to Singapore, characterising his uncle, then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as someone who "doesn't want competing claims to legitimacy" and would not take chances on that front.[9] He also said his parents would be at risk if they returned, citing Singapore's provisions allowing indefinite detention without access to a lawyer.[10]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Template:Cite news
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Shengwu Li CV". Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ↑ "Lee Hsien Yang reveals the story behind the names in the Lee family". mothership.sg. (30 March 2015). Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ Template:Cite tweet
- ↑ Template:Cite news
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Template:Cite news
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Template:Cite news
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Template:Cite news
- ↑ Template:Cite news
- ↑ Template:Cite news