The9 appoints George Lai as CEO, replacing founder Jun Zhu

The9 Limited (Nasdaq: NCTY) announced the appointment of George Lai as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 27, 2026, according to a company press release.

Lai succeeds founder Jun Zhu, who will remain as Executive Chairman of the Board. Lai has been with The9 for approximately 18 years and has served as Chief Financial Officer since 2008.

With Lai moving to the CEO role, Wei Ji, Senior Legal Director, will assume interim CFO responsibilities while the company searches for a permanent replacement.

"This is a meaningful turning point for The9," said Zhu. "As we enter a new era defined by AI and digital assets, handing the CEO role to George is the right decision at the right time."

Lai commented on the company's the9bit platform, stating it has reached 8 million users who have built more than 110,000 games on the company's AI platform in under a year. "Our focus now is to turn that traction into a durable business by scaling the platform, strengthening its underlying economics, and advancing our broader digital asset and AI initiatives," he said.

The9, founded in 1999 and listed on Nasdaq since 2004, operates the9bit, an AI-focused game creation platform tied to a digital asset ecosystem.

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