After fleeing Myanmar following the 2021 coup and restarting her life in the US from nothing, Ei Pencilo became one of the most prominent overseas fundraisers for Myanmar’s revolution. Now she is facing growing public scrutiny over how drastically her financial situation appears to have changed in just a few years.
In November 2023, a house at 6369 Garland Way in Roseville, California, sold for US$1.02 million. California corporate records for Pencilo Corporation later listed the same address for Eaint Poe Ou, better known as Ei Pencilo. Redfin and Realtor.com also record the property's US$1.02 million sale.
She has since expanded into selling authentic high-value jewelry, which has raised even more questions about where the capital came from. Even established jewelery businesses in Myanmar require significant amounts of money to maintain inventories of gold, gemstones and expensive finished pieces.
After helping raise millions of dollars for the revolution, followed by a home worth more than US$1 million and now a high-value jewellery business, has led supporters to accuse Pencilo of personally benefiting from funds raised in the name of the revolution.
The controversy now comes down to transparency. People are asking how much money she personally handled or controlled, where the millions raised for the revolution went, and whether those funds can be shown to have remained completely separate from the money used for her businesses and personal assets.