Sponsor shock at APRICOT dinner: Canceled member now top supporter

Sponsor shock at APRICOT dinner: Canceled member now top supporter is profiled by BTW Media because published evidence links it to internet infrastructure, governance, operational dependencies, or market visibility.

• In APRICOT 2024, LARUS’ sponsorship at APRICOT was denied after complaints from event co-organiser APNIC, whose Director General was involved in a feud with LARUS CEO Lu Heng.
• This year, sponsorship went ahead, a result, according to LARUS CEO, of Paul Wilson’s resignation from APNIC.

In what will be a surprise to those with access to the inner workings and communications of the Asia-Pacific internet community, LARUS Ltd was revealed this week as the key sponsor of the APRICOT dinner, taking place in Malaysia.

APRICOT (Asia Pacific Regional Internet Conference on Operational Technologies), the biggest internet conference in the Asia-Pacific region, is not just a forum of seminars, workshops, tutorials and conference sessions designed to help keep the region’s internet operating well. It is also a chance for companies and brands to put themselves in the limelight and attract business.

But when LARUS tried to do this in 2023 and 2024, a mini furore erupted.

LARUS sponsorship at APRICOT 2023

At first, all seemed well. The sponsorship was agreed, the contract was signed, and the money (US$24,000 of it) was paid.

Then came a letter from the APRICOT organisers. “We have become aware from our partner in the event, APNIC, that there is a current disagreement between themselves and LARUS ltd,” the letter stated. “APNIC said they would not be involved in APRICOT 23 while the dispute remains.”

The result this time was not a termination of the sponsorship agreement – LARUS’ sponsorship continued, despite the complaint from APNIC.

But the seeds had been sown for a change.

LARUS sponsorship denied at APRICOT 2024

The next year when LARUS tried to again sponsor the event, their request was denied immediately.

Lu Heng, CEO at LARUS, was livid, and published a public rebuke on YouTube which has now been viewed nearly 10 million times, pointing the finger squarely at Paul Wilson, the then Director General of APNIC, with whom Lu has had a long-running feud. “It is highly concerning that APNIC, under Paul Wilson’s leadership, has become so vulnerable and sensitive to any scrutiny and accountability by trying to shut down critics through limiting freedom of speech and expression,” he said.

LARUS sponsors APRICOT in 2025

This year things are different again. Wilson resigned from his role at APNIC in March 2024 after being accused by Lu of running the registry “like a dictatorship,” and LARUS’ sponsorship this year of the APRICOT dinner was agreed and executed unimpeded.

“We are delighted to be able to support the Asia-Pacific region’s most important internet conference, finally, without interference from bad actors with personal grudges,” said Lu. “We look forward to a long and cooperative relationship with APRICOT for many years to come.”

The APRICOT event this year takes place from February 19-27, and is seen as a symbol of how the region’s internet stakeholders are operating and cooperating. BTW Media was present, with Elena Tee, Director of Community Engagement, attending for the first time. “Sponsoring an event like this is not just a good way to showcase the services LARUS offers, but it’s also supporting the community in a way that is fun, too,” she said. “The vibe at the whole event has been fantastic.”