The dazzling facade of the Miss Universe pageant has been severely tarnished by a wave of serious legal troubles engulfing its current owners. Just days after the 2025 competition concluded, the organization's Thai proprietor, Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, is facing an arrest warrant in Thailand for fraud, while her Mexican business partner, Raúl Rocha Cantu, is under investigation in Mexico for alleged drug, arms, and fuel trafficking.
Thai Mogul Faces Financial Turmoil and Arrest Warrant
Anne Jakrajutatip, a prominent Thai transgender businesswoman who acquired the Miss Universe Organization in 2022 through her company JKN Global, is at the center of a mounting financial and legal crisis. She failed to appear in a Bangkok court this week for a 30 million baht ($930,000) dispute with an investor, prompting the Bangkok South District Court to issue an arrest warrant. Her current whereabouts remain undisclosed, according to Thai media reports.
JKN Global has been struggling with severe balance sheet issues since 2023, defaulting on payments to investors. The company filed for rehabilitation with a Thai bankruptcy court in 2024, reportedly amassing debts of approximately 3 billion baht ($92.63 million).
Adding to her woes, Jakrajutatip and JKN Global were sanctioned by Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) earlier this year. The SEC imposed a 4 million baht ($124,000) fine for publishing “false or misleading information” in the company’s financial statements. Specifically, JKN Global failed to fully disclose an October 2023 agreement to sell 50 percent of its Miss Universe shares to Raúl Rocha Cantu’s Legacy Holding Group USA Inc. Although Jakrajutatip has resigned from all company positions, she remains a shareholder and notably skipped the recent pageant in Bangkok.
Mexican Partner Under Trafficking Investigation
Meanwhile, Raúl Rocha Cantu, the Mexican businessman who bought a significant stake in Miss Universe, is embroiled in his own legal battles. Prosecutors in Mexico announced an investigation into Cantu for alleged arms, drug, and fuel trafficking between Mexico and Guatemala. While 13 individuals have been charged in connection with this case, Cantu has not yet been formally named.
Pageant Rocked by Scandals
The 2025 Miss Universe Pageant, which saw Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch crowned in Nonthaburi, Thailand, on November 21, was already beset by internal controversies, including allegations that the competition itself was rigged. These latest revelations about the owners’ legal troubles cast a long shadow over the future of the iconic beauty contest, which was once owned by former US President Donald Trump. The legal and financial turmoil surrounding its leadership raises significant questions about transparency and governance within the Miss Universe brand.
