Anne Jakrajutatip, co-owner of Miss Universe, sentenced to 2 years in prison

Bangkok.– The Southern Bangkok Kwaeng Court sentenced Jakkapong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization and founder of the JKN Global Group conglomerate, after finding her guilty of fraud in a corporate bond investment.

According to the ruling, Jakrajutatip and her company deceived an investor by presenting false information and concealing the financial crisis that JKN Global Group was going through, with the aim of attracting an investment of nearly 30 million baht (about 951,927 dollars). The case was initiated by Raveewat Maschamadol, a plastic surgeon who reported having been induced to invest between July 24 and August 8, 2023, without knowing that the company was not in a position to return the money. The court determined that the deception caused serious economic damage to the plaintiff. Jakrajutatip did not appear at the hearing where the sentence was handed down, held on December 26, so the authorities issued an arrest warrant and declared her a fugitive, considering that there is a risk of flight, according to the Court of Justice informed PEOPLE magazine.

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Thai local media reported that the businesswoman had left the country for Mexico at the end of November, shortly before the coronation of Miss Universe 2025, held on November 20 in Bangkok. The case occurs amidst growing controversy surrounding the Miss Universe organization. In early December, the Associated Press reported that the bank accounts in Mexico of Raúl Rocha, president and co-owner of the pageant, were frozen by the Financial Intelligence Unit, as part of an investigation into alleged links with organized crime.