Notorious for offensive comments

Joseph Lam is an infamous social media influencer, spouting controversial comments that have drawn anger many times, the latest being the murders in Plaza Hollywood that cost him his job as an insurance manager.

Lam, 34 in December, maintained a high profile after he quit his job as a barrister in 2017 and became a teacher at tutorial operation Beacon College.

He became an insurance agent at Prudential in 2020.

But his days as an insurance agent did not last. He was fired for "inappropriate comments" on social media after Szeto Sing-kwong allegedly murdered two young women, Fong Hiu-tong and her friend Lau Kai-hei, at Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill on June 2.

Lam took to Instagram to say he would like to sell the same sort of sneakers as the suspect was wearing as they were "good for fleeing."

That drew fire, prompting Lam to delete the post. But he refused to apologize, declaring he is where he is as he never apologizes.

Many people enjoy his humor, Lam added, "and there is nothing that should not be joked about."

Prudential then issued a statement to say it terminated a contract with a financial consultant - it did not name Lam - for an inappropriate comment on the killings.

Lam called a press conference a day after he was fired and apologized to the Fong and Lau families but refused to say sorry for any previous comments.

Back in August 2020, when American actor Chadwick Boseman, who played Black Panther in Marvel's superhero series, died of colon cancer Lam went online to "remind" people to have body checks and buy insurance from him.

A few months later, when former TVB producer Wilson Chin Kwok-wai passed away from pancreatic cancer, Lam remarked on social media that he hoped Chin purchased health insurance.

Lam also angered prominent esports player Derek Cheung, who challenged him to a boxing match in 2021. Lam lost that one.

He lost on the road too after being convicted of careless driving after pleading not guilty over his sports car crashing at a parking lot in Central in June last year.

Also arrested was another promoter, Chan Yee, who has over 221,000 followers on her YouTube channel focusing on cryptocurrency and business investments. Her over-the-counter crypto trading shop at Wing On Plaza in Tsim Sha Tsui was cordoned off.

Chan has recently promoted JPEX, claiming on Saturday on YouTube the platform was being persecuted. That was the day police said 83 complaints about JPEX involving HK$34 million had been received.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com