樂(lè)視在中國(guó)國(guó)內(nèi)被控拖欠廣告款

Ambitious Chinese technology group LeEco is being sued by a Chinese advertising agency for missed payments, in a further sign that the company’s cash flow problems are extending to its home country after a series of recent struggles in the US.

雄心勃勃的中國(guó)科技集團(tuán)樂(lè)視(LeEco)正被一家中國(guó)廣告代理商起訴，理由是拖欠賬款。這進(jìn)一步表明，經(jīng)過(guò)近期在美國(guó)連番受挫后，樂(lè)視的現(xiàn)金流問(wèn)題正在向其母國(guó)蔓延。

The case is the latest indication that the ambitions of LeEco to conquer the US consumer electronics market may have surpassed its ability to finance its investments.

這起案件再次顯示出，樂(lè)視征服美國(guó)消費(fèi)類電子產(chǎn)品市場(chǎng)的雄心或許已經(jīng)超出其為投資進(jìn)行融資的能力。

The lawsuits against four LeEco companies by Shenzhen-listed MIG Unmobi Tech, a mobile advertising company, cover Rmb61.6m ($9.07m) in missed payments, according to a stock exchange notice.

一份證券交易所公告顯示，深圳上市的移動(dòng)廣告公司“明家聯(lián)合”(MIG Unmobi Tech)對(duì)四家樂(lè)視系公司提起訴訟，涉及欠款金額6160萬(wàn)元人民幣(合907萬(wàn)美元)。

The alleged missed payments are for advertising campaigns that finished at the end of last year. Around the same time, LeEco’s billionaire founder Jia Yueting wrote a letter to employees admitting the company had burnt through cash too quickly in its bid to expand.

訴訟中所稱的欠款是去年底結(jié)束的廣告宣傳活動(dòng)的賬款。差不多同一時(shí)間，樂(lè)視創(chuàng)始人、億萬(wàn)富翁賈躍亭向員工致信，承認(rèn)公司擴(kuò)張過(guò)程中燒錢太快。

Last month, LeEco announced it had laid off most of its US staff in a sign that it was pulling back from its ambitious plans to take on Silicon Valley giants including Apple and Tesla.

上月，樂(lè)視宣布已解雇其在美國(guó)的大部分員工，這意味著該公司正在收縮其試圖與蘋果(Apple)、特斯拉(Tesla)等硅谷巨頭一較高下的宏偉計(jì)劃。

Mr Jia resigned last month from his chief executive duties at Leshi Internet Information & Technology, LeEco’s main listed subsidiary, but remains chairman of LeEco.

賈躍亭上月辭去了樂(lè)視網(wǎng)(樂(lè)視主要上市子公司)首席執(zhí)行官一職，但仍擔(dān)任樂(lè)視董事長(zhǎng)。

He led the company’s push into the automotive sector and has been criticised for focusing on cars at the cost of LeEco’s core businesses. This included backing Faraday Future, a Californian electric carmaker in which the Chinese group was the biggest investor.

他領(lǐng)導(dǎo)樂(lè)視進(jìn)軍汽車業(yè)，但因以犧牲樂(lè)視核心業(yè)務(wù)為代價(jià)去專注打造汽車而受到批評(píng)。這一努力包括投資總部位于美國(guó)加州的法拉第未來(lái)(Faraday Future)，樂(lè)視是這家電動(dòng)汽車制造商的最大投資者。

MIG’s lawsuits add to complaints from LeEco’s suppliers over missed payments. The state treasurer of Nevada told the Financial Times last November that Faraday owed “tens of millions of dollars” to its US contractor Aecom for work on the still-unfinished electric car plant. LeEco denied this allegation. Faraday declined to comment.

明家聯(lián)合提起的訴訟是供應(yīng)商抱怨樂(lè)視拖欠賬款的最新一例。美國(guó)內(nèi)華達(dá)州財(cái)長(zhǎng)去年11月對(duì)英國(guó)《金融時(shí)報(bào)》表示，法拉第未來(lái)拖欠美國(guó)承包商Aecom“數(shù)千萬(wàn)美元”，后者承建尚未完工的電動(dòng)汽車工廠。樂(lè)視否認(rèn)了這一指控。法拉第未來(lái)拒絕置評(píng)。

MIG is pursuing lawsuits over alleged missed payments totalling Rmb20m from Le Holdings — the holding company for the LeEco family of subsidiaries — as well as Rmb18.5m from LeSports and Rmb10.5m from LeMall.

明家聯(lián)合起訴稱，樂(lè)視控股(Le Holdings)、樂(lè)視體育(LeSports)及樂(lè)視電子商務(wù)(LeMall)分別拖欠了2000萬(wàn)元人民幣、1850萬(wàn)元人民幣和1050萬(wàn)元人民幣。樂(lè)視控股是樂(lè)視系公司中的控股公司。

In addition, MIG is suing Leshi in two lawsuits for alleged missed payments of Rmb12.5m.

此外，明家聯(lián)合在兩起訴訟中指控樂(lè)視網(wǎng)拖欠賬款1250萬(wàn)元人民幣。

“We are working hard to resolve MIG’s complaints,” a LeEco spokesman said.

“我們正在努力解決明家聯(lián)合提起的訴訟，”樂(lè)視一位發(fā)言人表示。

The group comprises a complicated network of subsidiaries, and indications of cash flow difficulties seem to be cropping up at the subsidiary level. Unlisted Le Holdings counts at least 39 subsidiaries in mainland China that are at least 51 per cent-controlled by the company.

樂(lè)視集團(tuán)由一個(gè)復(fù)雜的子公司網(wǎng)絡(luò)組成，現(xiàn)金流困難的跡象似乎在子公司層面突然爆發(fā)。未上市的樂(lè)視控股在中國(guó)內(nèi)地?fù)碛兄辽?9家子公司，這些公司的絕對(duì)控股權(quán)都掌握在樂(lè)視控股手中。

Two months ago, Zhou Hang, the head of LeEco’s ride-hailing subsidiary Yidao, resigned in protest, saying LeEco took Yidao’s funds to cover debts elsewhere in LeEco.

兩個(gè)月前，樂(lè)視旗下叫車公司易到用車(Yidao Yongche)負(fù)責(zé)人周航宣布辭職以示抗議，稱樂(lè)視拿易到的資金償還樂(lè)視在其他領(lǐng)域的債務(wù)。

Mr Zhou said LeEco had “misappropriated” Rmb1.3bn of Yidao’s funds to cover LeEco’s debts, leaving Yidao unable to repay its own borrowings. Both LeEco and Yidao denied the allegations.

周航表示，樂(lè)視“挪用”易到13億元人民幣資金償還樂(lè)視的債務(wù)，致使易到無(wú)法償還本公司借款。樂(lè)視和易到方面都否認(rèn)了這一指控。

This year another Chinese supplier, Haosheng Electronic, sued LeEco’s subsidiary LeMobile for Rmb51.7m over missing payments, according to an exchange filing. The first payment was missed in December 2016, the same time that MIG’s payments were due.

根據(jù)一份交易所文件，今年，另一家中國(guó)本土供應(yīng)商豪聲電子(Haosheng Electronic)稱樂(lè)視子公司樂(lè)視手機(jī)(LeMobile)拖欠其5170萬(wàn)元人民幣賬款，其已提請(qǐng)仲裁。其中第一期賬款本應(yīng)于2016年12月支付，這也是樂(lè)視應(yīng)支付明家聯(lián)合賬款的時(shí)間。