The Miss Universe Organisation has been bought by a transgender rights activist and celebrity media entrepreneur from Thailand for $20 million, according to her company. This is the first time a woman has owned an organisation that organises beauty pageants.
The CEO and largest stakeholder of JKN Global Group, Jakapong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, is well-known in Thailand for appearing in the country’s local adaptations of Project Runway and Shark Tank.
According to Jakapong, the acquisition is “a strong, strategic addition to our portfolio,” and Miss Universe hopes to expand 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%.
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.
