Court Orders Arrest Of Miss Universe Co-owner

A court in Thailand has issued an arrest warrant for Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, the media mogul and co-owner of the Miss Universe pageant, over an alleged $930,000 fraud case.

The South Bangkok Civil Court issued the warrant on Tuesday after a plastic surgeon accused Jakapong of fraud and concealing information to persuade him to invest in JKN Global Group in 2023, despite knowing she could not repay the funds.

The court statement, shared with AFP on Wednesday, said she failed to attend the scheduled verdict hearing, prompting the warrant as her absence “could be interpreted as fleeing.”

The verdict has now been moved to December 26, while local media reports suggest Jakapong may have travelled to Mexico as speculation grows over her financial troubles.

JKN Global Group and Jakapong have faced scrutiny, adding to recent controversies surrounding this year’s Miss Universe pageant, which concluded in Bangkok last week.

The event was overshadowed by a public confrontation between a male host and the eventual winner, Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch, after he allegedly insulted her during a livestream.

Despite the turmoil, the Miss Universe Organization said earlier this year that legal issues involving JKN are “entirely separate” from the pageant’s operations.

Jakapong’s firm bought Miss Universe from President Donald Trump for $20m in 2022, later selling half its stake to Mexico’s Legacy Holding Group USA for $16m.

In 2024, the Stock Exchange of Thailand delisted JKN after it failed to submit financial records and was found to have falsified statements.