One of the central figures behind the Miss Universe Organization is now facing a confirmed prison sentence, adding to the mounting legal and operational turmoil surrounding the global pageant.
According to the Bangkok Post, a Thai court has sentenced Jakkaphong Anne Jakrajutatip, co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization and founder of JKN Global Group, to two years in prison after finding her guilty of fraud related to a corporate bond investment. The ruling was delivered in absentia after Jakrajutatip failed to appear in court and remains at large.
The Bangkok South Kwaeng Court issued the verdict in a criminal case brought by Dr. Raveewat Maschamadol, who accused Jakrajutatip and JKN Global Group of jointly committing fraud in 2023.
According to the court, between July 24 and August 8 of that year, the defendants misled the plaintiff by presenting false information and concealing material facts related to the company’s financial health.
The court found that Jakrajutatip, then a top executive at JKN, was fully aware that the company was experiencing severe financial distress and would be unable to repay the bond investment on the agreed date.
Despite this, the defendants allegedly persuaded Maschamadol to invest 30 million baht—roughly $930,000—by withholding critical information. The court ruled that the deception caused direct financial damage to the plaintiff.
Under Section 341 of Thailand’s Criminal Code, which governs fraud offenses, Jakrajutatip was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment without suspension. JKN Global Group was also found guilty as an accomplice and fined 40,000 baht. While a company representative appeared in court, Jakrajutatip did not. She has been under an arrest warrant for more than a month after failing to appear at earlier hearings.
Thai and international outlets have reported that Jakrajutatip is believed to have fled the country, allegedly converting billions of baht into cryptocurrency before leaving Thailand. Authorities have not confirmed her location, though she is reportedly outside the country.
Jakrajutatip, 46, is a high-profile media executive and was once ranked by Forbes as one of the world’s wealthiest transgender individuals. In recent years, however, JKN Global Group has faced mounting financial pressure, leading to debt defaults, court-supervised rehabilitation proceedings, and multiple legal disputes.
Jakrajutatip resigned from her executive roles at both JKN and Miss Universe earlier this year amid separate allegations of falsified financial statements.
Her conviction comes during a period of instability for the pageant, which has faced resignations from contestants, judges, and executives following its 2025 competition.
