CFO since 2008, Lai succeeds Founder and Chairman Jun Zhu as the Nasdaq-listed company pushes further into AI and digital assets through its the9bit platform.
The9 Limited said George Lai will become Chief Executive Officer effective July 27, 2026, replacing Founder and Chairman Jun Zhu, who will remain Executive Chairman of the Board. The leadership change keeps a long-serving insider at the helm as the Nasdaq-listed company positions itself around AI and digital assets. Lai joined The9 about 18 years ago and has served as Chief Financial Officer since 2008. The company said he played a central role in capital allocation, treasury strategy, development of the9bit and The9's return to profitability. Wei Ji, Senior Legal Director, will take on interim CFO duties while The9 searches for a permanent finance chief. In remarks released with the announcement, Zhu described the handover as a turning point as The9 enters what he called a new era shaped by AI and digital assets. Lai said the9bit combines creation, monetization and a digital asset ecosystem in one AI-native product, adding that the platform reached 8 million users in under a year and those users built more than 110,000 games on the company's proprietary AI platform. The9 said its next priority is converting that user traction into a durable business by expanding the platform, improving its economics and advancing broader AI and digital asset initiatives. Founded in 1999 and listed on Nasdaq since 2004, the company describes the9bit as an AI-powered digital asset ecosystem tied to the $9BIT token economy and said it is also exploring AI-related opportunities including an equity stake in NYB, an AI-driven drug discovery company.