The Miss Universe Organization has been acquired by a transgender rights activist and celebrity media entrepreneur from Thailand for $20 million, according to her firm. This is the first time a woman has owned the organisation that organises beauty pageants.
The CEO and largest shareholder of JKN Global Group Pcl (JKN), Jakapong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, is well-known in Thailand for appearing on the country’s local adaptations of Project Runway and Shark Tank.
She founded the Life Inspired For Thailand Foundation to promote the rights to dignity and opportunities for transgender persons, and she has been outspoken about her experience as a transgender woman.
According to Jakapong, the acquisition is “a significant, strategic addition to our portfolio,” and Miss Universe hopes to grow in Asia with its content, licencing, and merchandising potential.
Documentaries and Bollywood dramas are among the international programmes that JKN distributes in Thailand in addition to its own original programming. In early Wednesday trading, its shares increased by about 10%.
According to Jakapong, the purchase is “a significant, strategic addition to our portfolio,” and Miss Universe hopes to use the acquisition to expand its content, licencing, and merchandise offerings.
The Miss Universe Organisation, which Donald Trump co-owned between 1996 and 2002, holds an annual beauty pageant that has been aired in 165 nations for 71 years.
