A Property Baron Enrages Community by Selling 130,000 Acres of Land to a Chinese Billionaire

The businessman was able to flip the land and managed to make twice what it was worth. While this kind of sale would often be something to celebrate, local residents are anything but pleased. It’s been revealed that Frankens sold the land to a wealthy Chinese investor who is said to be a “national security risk.”

For Frankens, it was the “deal of the century,” but to local ranchers, it was nothing short of a nightmare. A report from the CIA stating that Sun could potentially be dangerous has East Texans understandably concerned.

Interestingly enough, Frankens sold the 130,000 acres to Sun the same day he acquired them. The land deeds created further confusion and suspicion, as it became quite evident that Frankens and Sun were working together.

The documents revealed that Frankens once bought a plot of land at 11 a.m., only to sell it to GH America in under three hours. By 2 p.m. that same day, Sun Guangxin was listed as the owner of the property. Something was definitely amiss, and things only became more problematic once the CIA got involved.

James King, a realtor in Val Verde County, suggested that Frankens had “taken advantage” of Sun’s “naivety.” He claimed that the Chinese billionaire was swindled by Frankens and that he paid far too much for the plots of land. “Its buyer beware,” he said. “That’s how Texas real estate is.”

According to James King, local Texans are passionate about their land and the history that comes along with it, so selling more than 130,000 of it to a foreign billionaire was a big offense. “It’s, you know, ‘how dare you bring this man into our neighborhood of really solid landowners who care about the land and where some families have spent six generations out here’,” said King.

As of now, it remains unclear if Frankens and Sun were doing anything illegal, but the wealthy property baron had no problem flaunting his fortune on social media. In a Facebook post from 2015, Frankens posted an aerial photo of a sprawling estate in Texas along with the caption, “This is my second home away from home. I built and developed and sold several but still live in the region.”

King believes that Frankens took profits from his initial deals with GH America to purchase more land. According to King, Frankens likely sold that land to GH America at an inflated price as well. On top of that, King is certain that Frankens was “hiding” his earnings. “I wouldn’t say it’s a very honorable way to make a living because it’s sneaky. But people do it,” he said.

Sun’s political connections are the driving force of his success, and it has helped him purchase “state-owned enterprises.” In fact, Sun owned seven percent of the land in Val Verde County between 2016 and 2018. While Sun’s business acumen and political standing helped his advancement, it also was also what got him noticed as a national security threat.

The alleged event, which is said to have taken place in September 2021, was traumatizing to the rancher. The suit claims that he was “beaten about the head with fists causing serious bodily injury.”

The situation resulted in Texas Governor Greg Abbott getting involved. He passed the Lone Star Infrastructure Act in 2021, banning all ‘hostile nations’ from gaining access to state infrastructure.

He claims that he “sold the property via a broker and did not know who the buyer was.” At the same time, Frankens also defended Sun, saying, “In my dealings with [Sun Guangxin], he has always done exactly what he said he would do and has shown himself to be a generous, hospitable man.”