<p>The Chinese billionaire chairman of investment bank China Renaissance has gone missing, the firm said, as shares in the company plunged in Hong Kong on Friday.</p>.<p>Bao Fan, who is also executive director of the bank, is a major figure in the Chinese tech industry and has played a key role in the emergence of various domestic internet startups.</p>.<p>"The company has been unable to contact Mr Bao," China Renaissance said in an announcement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, without offering further details.</p>.<p>Shares in the firm slumped as much as 30 percent following the statement.</p>.<p>According to financial news outlet Caixin the 52-year-old dealmaker had been unreachable for two days as of Thursday evening.</p>.<p>China Renaissance was not immediately available for comment after being contacted by <em>AFP</em>.</p>.<p>Founded in 2005, the group has supervised the IPOs of several domestic internet giants, including leading e-commerce firm JD.com.</p>.<p>Bao also facilitated a blockbuster 2015 merger between major ride-hailing firm Didi and its top competitor at the time, Kuaidi Dache.</p>.<p>The case of China Renaissance is reminiscent of a pattern of investigations into top financiers from the country in recent years.</p>.<p>In 2017, Chinese-Canadian businessman Xiao Jianhua was arrested by mainland authorities and received a 13-year jail sentence under corruption charges last August.</p>.<p>Known to hold close ties to top Chinese Communist Party leaders, the billionaire was reportedly abducted from his Hong Kong hotel room by plainclothes police officers from Beijing.</p>.<p>At the time of his arrest, Xiao was one of the richest men in China, with an estimated fortune of $6 billion.</p>.<p>According to Caixin, China Renaissance president Cong Lin was taken into custody last September as authorities launched a probe into his work at the financial leasing unit of state-owned bank ICBC.</p>
<p>The Chinese billionaire chairman of investment bank China Renaissance has gone missing, the firm said, as shares in the company plunged in Hong Kong on Friday.</p>.<p>Bao Fan, who is also executive director of the bank, is a major figure in the Chinese tech industry and has played a key role in the emergence of various domestic internet startups.</p>.<p>"The company has been unable to contact Mr Bao," China Renaissance said in an announcement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, without offering further details.</p>.<p>Shares in the firm slumped as much as 30 percent following the statement.</p>.<p>According to financial news outlet Caixin the 52-year-old dealmaker had been unreachable for two days as of Thursday evening.</p>.<p>China Renaissance was not immediately available for comment after being contacted by <em>AFP</em>.</p>.<p>Founded in 2005, the group has supervised the IPOs of several domestic internet giants, including leading e-commerce firm JD.com.</p>.<p>Bao also facilitated a blockbuster 2015 merger between major ride-hailing firm Didi and its top competitor at the time, Kuaidi Dache.</p>.<p>The case of China Renaissance is reminiscent of a pattern of investigations into top financiers from the country in recent years.</p>.<p>In 2017, Chinese-Canadian businessman Xiao Jianhua was arrested by mainland authorities and received a 13-year jail sentence under corruption charges last August.</p>.<p>Known to hold close ties to top Chinese Communist Party leaders, the billionaire was reportedly abducted from his Hong Kong hotel room by plainclothes police officers from Beijing.</p>.<p>At the time of his arrest, Xiao was one of the richest men in China, with an estimated fortune of $6 billion.</p>.<p>According to Caixin, China Renaissance president Cong Lin was taken into custody last September as authorities launched a probe into his work at the financial leasing unit of state-owned bank ICBC.</p>