Ex Mediacorp Actress Yang Libing Once Cheated Out Of Toto Winnings By An Ex

Winning the lottery is supposed to be a happy ending, but for one former Mediacorp actress, it came with a costly twist.

Yang Libing, once a familiar face to fans of local Mandarin dramas in the 80s and 90s, revealed in a recent interview with Lianhe Zaobao that she was once “cheated” out of her Toto winnings many years ago.

At the time, Libing said she and her then-partner had a habit of buying Toto tickets together, spending $28 on each draw.

Her luck then was “really good”, with frequent small wins of tens of dollars which were enough to cover the cost of the tickets, until she struck big time.

Recounting the incident, Libing, now 60, said that while her partner was overseas for work, she checked the numbers and realised that all the winning numbers, including the additional number, matched.

Clueless about how Toto prize tiers worked, she called her partner to ask how much they had won.

“He paused for a moment, then said it was $1,688. I was so excited that I jumped up and shouted, ‘Wow! I’ve never won so much from Toto before!’”

To prevent her from discovering the truth, he later flew back to Singapore to redeem the ticket himself.

Libing said she found $1,688 in cash at home afterwards and assumed it was the full amount.

“I was actually very happy,” she said. “I thought he really loved me, because he gave me all the prize money. Later he bought a diamond-studded Rolex watch, and I wondered where the money came from…”

It was only years later that she learned through a mutual friend that the Toto prize money had in fact been a substantial sum, reportedly at least six figures.

She did not identify the former partner involved, and there was no indication that it was her ex-husband, actor Li Nanxing.

“My close friends and family all laughed at me for being such a fool when they found out about this. They even gave me a nickname ‘1688,’” she said.

“I hope my ex sees this report and returns my share of the Toto winnings!”

The Toto incident was not the only time Libing had suffered a major financial setback.

After leaving acting to work as a property agent, she completed a high-value deal with a business partner.

However, because they did not clearly document how the commission would be split, she lost $1.4 million in commission.

“So you see, if not for these two incidents, maybe I would already be very rich,” she said with a laugh.

Despite the losses, Libing has come to see money as a form of tuition fee.

“Money buys you wisdom, brings benefactors into your life, and even helps buy you a a kind of protection,” she said, adding that she believes a higher power has been watching over her and helping her through major difficulties.

Much has changed in Libing’s life in the past two decades, from divorce to the loss of loved ones.

Once regarded as one of local showbiz’s golden couples, she and Nanxing famously split in 2005 after 11 years of marriage. They have no children and neither has remarried.

Despite what appeared like a bitter divorce at the time, Libing said there is “no deep-seated hatred” between them.

In fact, she is open to sharing the screen with him again — if the right script comes along.

“Things just happened… everyone has their own lives now. If there’s a good script and role, and he’s willing to take part, I’m totally fine with it,” she said.

Using “plain water” to describe the essence of marriage, she added: “Love exists during passionate romance — it’s like fruit juice or red wine, sweet and fragrant. But later, it turns into plain water.”

She explained that plain water isn’t bad, but something the body needs every day. It represents an elevated, deep familial bond. But when money, family background, and other complex factors enter marriage, and that cup of “water” loses its original purity, letting go may be the only way forward.

“Many couples can’t bear to let go because they’re unwilling to accept it,” she said. “But if you don’t let go, you’re actually not letting yourself go.”

She has also been forced to mature quickly following the passing of her close family members.

Her older sister, actress Yang Lina, died from uterine cancer in 2010, followed by her aunt and father.

Today, she lives with and cares for her elderly mother, who is in her 80s, while also helping to look after her late sister’s two children.

Reflecting on her life now, Libing said her mindset has shifted with age.

“Because my sister was around, I could be willful. After she left, and my father passed away two years ago, people around me kept leaving one by one, and you start growing up very fast,” she said.

As for the future, Libing said she feels little anxiety.

“I’m not depressed. I’m still alive. That alone is already God’s greatest blessing,” she said.

Besides co-hosting the YouTube programme Bing Ke Qin Talk with friends like former host Zhu Yongqin, she also plans to lead overseas tours and resume a carefree life of travel.