Former Miss Universe owner allegedly flees to Mexico amid legal troubles and debt
The former owner of the Miss Universe Organisation (MUO), Jakapong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, has yet to issue a public statement after a Thai political activist accused her of fleeing to Mexico following several legal issues and bankruptcy.
The transgender business operator, Anne, is the CEO of JKN Global Group and a former MUO owner. She purchased the Miss Universe pageant for US$20 million (around 800 million baht) in October 2022. However, JKN later reported a net loss of over 2.1 billion baht due to poor management of cash flow and debt.
This lack of liquidity affected the company’s ability to pay bond returns worth around 600 million baht, prompting Anne to file a petition for business rehabilitation in November 2023.
Subsequently, the bondholders lodged complaints with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) following their financial losses.
In 2024, the SEC accused Anne of providing false information to the public after it emerged that she had secretly sold 50 per cent of the company’s shares to Mexican businessman Raul Rocha Cantu in October 2023, only announcing the sale publicly in January 2024.
The SEC also filed a complaint with the DSI, accusing her of manipulating financial statements to underreport liabilities and assets in 2023.
According to Thai PBS, JKN is currently under an automatic stay following the business rehabilitation filing. The process is reportedly slow, leaving bondholders in an uncertain situation. Anne, however, gave multiple interviews stating that she intends to resolve the financial issues and repay all bondholders.
Recently, political activist Sondhi Limthongkul accused Anne in a YouTube broadcast of evading the rehabilitation plan and legal obligations by relocating to Mexico. He also claimed that she converted 6 billion baht obtained from retail investors into cryptocurrency and hid abroad with the funds.
Sondhi further alleged that Anne acquired Mexican citizenship with Cantu’s assistance and orchestrated the sale of Miss Universe for a luxurious life in Mexico.
Cantu has a controversial background and an alleged connection with influential people in Mexico. He was reported to be the owner of a Casino Royale in Monterrey, Mexico, which was set on fire by the Los Zetas drug cartel.
The connection between Anne and Cantu became more evident when he acquired the rights to Miss Universe Mexico and brought the pageant to Mexico in 2024.
Cantu recently caused controversy by allegedly replacing Mexico’s Miss Universe 2025 representative, Michelle Dominguez, with Fatima Bosch, the daughter of a prominent Mexican politician, who ultimately won the crown.
Beyond this, Cantu clashed with Thai MUO Vice President Nawat Itsaragrisil after asking contestants to promote an online gambling platform during pre-pageant events in Thailand, in violation of Thai law.
Sondhi concluded that Anne may be unable to return to Thailand due to ongoing lawsuits. Her absence continues to impact retail investors, many of whom are retired, leaving them in prolonged uncertainty regarding debt repayment.
Anne was recently found to have deactivated her Instagram account, which added weight to Sondhi’s accusations. Although her account was later reactivated, she has yet to issue a statement or clarifications regarding the claims.
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