Prosecutor tells jury that self-exiled wealthy Chinese businessman cheated thousands of $1 billion

NEW YORK (AP) — A self-exiled wealthy Chinese businessman became an internet sensation and conned thousands of people worldwide into sending him $1 billion, enabling him to spend lavishly on a mansion, two yachts and even a $35,000 mattress, a prosecutor told a New York jury Friday at the start of his fraud trial. Guo Wengui, 57, promised his online followers that they’d get rich before he blew their investments on a lavish lifestyle and risky investments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Fergenson said. He said Guo "ran a simple con on a grand scale." "He lived a billionaire’s lifestyle from…