The Chinese business tycoon blowing the whistle on Beijing's secrets
She has joined a growing list of celebrities, academics, media figures like Australian television anchor Cheng Lei, and even China's richest man, Jack Ma, who have vanished under President Xi Jinping's crackdown on corruption and political rivals.
Whitney's former husband and business partner Desmond Shum has written a tell-all book about her disappearance and doing business at the highest levels in the communist state.
"Money counts for nothing," Desmond said in an interview with 60 Minutes
He says doing business in China is a game of chance and the odds are getting worse for those seeking their fortune in one of the world's biggest markets.
While Whitney's future remains unclear, Desmond has not bowed to the threats and has not stopped the publication of the book. Nine
According to Desmond, your ties to the communist establishment are the only protection.
"Your bloodline protects you. Everyone else is expendable", he told Liam Bartlett.
'Are we talking about my life? Our son's life? Or is it your life?'
He believes his ex-wife fell out of favour with the current communist leadership.
"I would guess most likely she's associated with the wrong crowd or the wrong faction of the power struggle," Desmond said.
"Or maybe she learned something that's very inconvenient for the leadership."
Whatever the answer, no one heard from Whitney Duan until the eve of the publication of Desmond's book Red Roulette, when Desmond received a chilling phone call from Whitney.
"The purpose of the call is to ask me to stop the book launch. That's exactly what she said," Desmond recalled.
'I would guess most likely she's associated with the wrong crowd or the wrong faction of the power struggle,' Desmond thought. Nine
He believes Whitney was reading from a script when she tried to incriminate him for a crime she couldn't name, before ominously warning his book could cost someone their life.
"Whose life are we talking about here?" he angrily asked her and whoever else was listening in.
"Are we talking about my life? Our son's life? Or is it your life?"
According to Desmond, it was obvious Whitney had been isolated during the four years she'd disappeared.
"Her mum passed away in June. She didn't know that," Desmond said.
"She didn't know the pandemic was going on for two years."
60 Minutes reporter Liam Bartlett. Nine
It was the first time their 12-year-old son had spoken to his mother in years.
"She was asking him 'how tall are you now?', 'what's your weight?'" Desmond recalled.
While Whitney's future remains unclear, Desmond has not bowed to the threats and has not stopped the publication of the book.
He believes the world needs to know about Whitney's story and the true cost of doing business in China.
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