Lena Li
Lena Li is a 35-year-old figure brought into public attention in Singapore for her claims of being a former Citibank staff member turned model, alleged to have appeared on magazine covers such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and FHM.
Background
According to her LinkedIn-profile claims reported in the media, Lena Li says she studied at University of London, University of Saskatchewan, and University of York.[1]
Employment and modelling claims
Lena Li left her role as a public relations manager at Citibank Singapore to pursue part-time modeling while working as a freelance business consultant. She has been featured in various media outlets, including being nominated for the "Emerging Star" award at the Influencer Magazine Awards, where she was in contention to be the first Singaporean to win the award.[1][2] Lena Li purportedly worked in public relations at Citibank Singapore, although when contacted, Citibank stated they could not find records of a “Dr Lena Li” (or similar names used) having worked there, either as a PR consultant or otherwise.[1] She also claims to have been headhunted out of Citibank by a modelling agency. As part of her modelling claims, Lena Li is said to have appeared on magazine covers—specifically Vogue Monaco, Cosmopolitan Canada, and FHM Singapore—but media investigations found that these magazine credentials appear to be dubious. For example, Vogue Monaco’s Instagram was taken down, and Cosmopolitan Canada disavowed ownership of the “Cosmopolitan Canada” name used in her profile.[1]
Online presence and controversies
Lena Li has been linked with several pseudonyms, such as Li Ling Ling, Mercy Li, and BustySingaporean, among others.
Upon doing a deeper into Lena Li's background, there are highlights of inconsistencies in her professional history and the authenticity of her magazine cover claims. The report questions the legitimacy of her Citibank employment and the credibility of the magazine covers she claims to have appeared on, suggesting that some of her photos may have been misattributed from other models.[1]
References/Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Thet, Nyi Nyi. “Who’s Lena Li, 35-year-old S’porean former 'Citibank' staff & global model on 'Vogue' & 'Cosmo' & why has no one ever heard of her?” Mothership.SG, 17 September, 2025. Accessed 18 September, 2025.
- ↑ “She quit Citibank for glamour — now model could be first Singaporean up for global influencer award” STOMP.sg, 10 August, 2025. Accessed 19 September, 2025.