An arrest warrant has been issued for Jakkaphong "Anne" Jakrajutatip, co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, in relation to a fraud case. The Bangkok South District Court issued the warrant after Jakrajutatip failed to appear in court on Tuesday, failing to notify officials of her absence. The court deemed her a flight risk and rescheduled the hearing for Dec. 26.
Jakkaphong’s company, JKN Global Group, purchased Miss Universe in 2022 and sold 50% of the organization to Legacy Holding Group USA in 2023, owned by Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú. JKN is accused of defrauding investor Raweewat Maschamadol during a 2023 corporate-bond deal, which the investor claims cost him roughly $930,000. The company misrepresented its financial health during the transaction, and JKN ceased making investor payments in 2023, effectively wiping out the value of the bonds.
JKN has faced severe financial trouble in recent years, defaulting on investor payments and entering debt rehabilitation in 2024, with obligations totaling about $93 million. Jakrajutatip, a well-known Thai celebrity and openly transgender woman, resigned from all company positions in June after being accused by Thailand’s SEC of falsifying 2023 financial statements. Despite this, she remains JKN’s largest shareholder, and her whereabouts remain unknown, as she did not attend the 74th Miss Universe competition held in Bangkok earlier this month.
The Miss Universe pageant this year has been marred by a series of controversies. A Thai organizer publicly reprimanded Mexico’s Fátima Bosch Fernández, who won the 2025 crown, sparking backlash, while two judges also withdrew, with one hinting the scoring wasn’t entirely above board. Thai authorities separately opened an investigation into whether the event’s promotional materials illegally advertised online gambling. The chaos deepened when Jamaica’s contestant, Gabrielle Henry, fell off the stage during the preliminary evening gown round.
President Donald Trump once owned the Miss Universe Organization, controlling the pageant from 1996 until 2015, when he sold it to talent agency giant IMG after NBC severed ties with him during the early stages of his presidential campaign. The brand has since changed hands multiple times, with Trump selling the company in 2015 and IMG Worldwide LLC purchasing it in 2022.