Court issues arrest warrant for Miss Universe Co-owner over alleged $930,000 fraud

A Thai court has issued an arrest warrant for Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, the media mogul co-owner of the Miss Universe beauty pageant, over alleged fraud amounting to $930,000. The warrant follows a streak of scandal that has hit the contest, including a host’s tantrum and allegations of sexism during the most recent event.

The fresh outrage against Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, whose JKN Global Group co-owns the contest, came just after Miss Mexico was crowned winner last week. The South Bangkok Civil Court issued the warrant on Tuesday after a plastic surgeon accused her of fraud and concealing information when persuading him to invest in JKN in 2023.

A court statement shared on Wednesday indicated: “The defendant invited (the plaintiff) to invest knowing her inability to return the money within the appointed time.” A verdict in the 30 million baht ($930,000) case was scheduled for Tuesday, but Jakapong failed to appear in court. The warrant was issued because her behavior “could be interpreted as fleeing.”

The court has rescheduled the verdict to December 26, though some local media reported Jakapong had already left for Mexico amid rumors of mounting financial woes. Earlier this year, the Miss Universe Organization stated that “these legal proceedings are entirely separate” from its operations.

The Miss Universe 2025 contest had already wrapped up in Bangkok on Friday after drama stirred by a public bust-up between a male competition host and the eventual winner, Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch.

In a livestreamed event, the host singled her out for allegedly failing to post promotional content and reportedly called her “dumb,” prompting Bosch to lead a walk-out. He subsequently apologized after a news conference; however, his behavior drew the attention of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who praised her compatriot for speaking out.

The Miss Universe contest was formerly owned by US President Donald Trump. Jakapong’s JKN Global Group bought it for $20 million in 2022, but later sold half its stake to Mexican firm Legacy Holding Group USA for $16 million.

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