In August 2014, state media announced that Bai would undergo investigation for "serious violations of law and discipline." On September 3, 2014, Bai was dismissed from his posts by the Chinese government. Soon following his investigation, it was revealed that Bai had business dealings with Sichuan businessman Liu Han (who was sentenced to death in a separate case), Liu Wei (also executed), and Jiang Jiemin, former head of the China National Petroleum who was also a Central Committee member. Bai also reportedly took kickbacks during the privatization of state-owned local mining companies. His successor, Qin Guangrong, turned himself in to the authorities in May 2019. On October 9, 2016, Bai was sentenced by the Anyang Intermediate People's Court to death sentence with reprieve without commutation or parole when the sentence was automatically reduced to life imprisonment; he was convicted of taking bribes worth some 246.7 million yuan (~$41.12 million) and amassing wealth of unclear origin, boasting the largest recorded sum of any official charged with corruption during the term of Xi Jinping. Bai's sentence was the toughest yet doled out in the anti-corruption campaign under Xi Jinping. Family Bai comes from a prominent political family. Bai's grandfather was a cousin of Bai Rubing, former party chief and two-time governor of Shandong, and Bai Dongcai, former party chief of Jiangxi. Bai's uncle, Bai Zhimin, was also a prominent official. Bai was married twice. His second wife, Zhang Huiqing (), was vice-president and party chief of the Yunnan provincial branch of State Grid. The two had met in Qinghai when Zhang was an ordinary functionary (or according to some reports, a waitress); when she came to Yunnan with Bai, she was rapidly promoted to a position with a high six-figure salary. It was reported from numerous sources that Bai was "afraid of his wife". References Living people 1946 births Politicians from Yulin, Shaanxi Political office-holders in Yunnan Governors of Qinghai People's Republic of China politicians from Shaanxi Chinese Communist Party politicians from Shaanxi Expelled members of the Chinese Communist Party Political office-holders in Qinghai Northwestern Polytechnical University alumni Members of the 17th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Chinese politicians convicted of corruption People from Qingjian County