BANGKOK, Thailand – The South Bangkok Civil Court issued an arrest warrant on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, for Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, the transgender businesswoman and co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization. The warrant arises from a civil fraud lawsuit in which she is accused of misleading a prominent plastic surgeon into investing 30 million baht (approximately $930,000) in corporate bonds issued by her company, JKN Global Group, while knowingly concealing the firm’s inability to repay the money on time.
The plaintiff, Dr. Raweewat Maschamadol, alleges that between July and August 2023, Jakrajutatip and JKN induced him to buy the bonds through false statements and deliberate omission of critical financial information. A verdict in the case had been scheduled for Tuesday, but Jakrajutatip failed to appear in court. The judge interpreted her absence as possible intent to evade justice and immediately issued the arrest warrant. The hearing has been postponed to December 26, 2025.
Thai media reports suggest Jakrajutatip may have already left the country, with some sources claiming she traveled to Mexico, home of her Miss Universe business partner Raúl Rocha Cantú. Political activist Sondhi Limthongkul has publicly accused her of fleeing to avoid creditors and a corporate rehabilitation plan, while unverified rumors allege she converted large sums into cryptocurrency before departing. JKN Global Group swiftly denied these claims, insisting it is cooperating with authorities and that no wrongdoing has been proven.
This is only the latest chapter in a string of financial and legal setbacks for Jakrajutatip. In June 2025, Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission fined her approximately $119,000 and banned her from serving as a company director or executive for 56 months after finding that JKN had falsified financial statements in 2023 and early 2024. The company was delisted from the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 2024 for repeated failure to submit required reports and evidence of fabricated accounting records. JKN first ran into serious trouble in September 2023 when it defaulted on a major loan, triggering a bankruptcy petition that eventually led to court-supervised rehabilitation.
Jakrajutatip’s troubles have unfolded against the backdrop of the just-concluded Miss Universe 2025 pageant in Bangkok, which itself was engulfed in controversy. The event ended on November 21 with Miss Mexico, Fátima Bosch, being crowned the winner—the fourth Mexican woman to claim the title. However, the weeks leading up to the finale were dominated by scandal.
On November 4, during a livestreamed welcome ceremony, Thai television personality and Miss Grand International president Nawat Itsaragrisil publicly berated Bosch for allegedly failing to post sufficient promotional content about Thailand on social media. In an outburst watched by millions, Itsaragrisil called her a “dumbhead” and ordered security to escort her off the stage. Bosch walked out in protest, followed by several other contestants in solidarity, including the reigning Miss Universe, Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark. The incident triggered global backlash, with accusations of sexism and bullying.
Itsaragrisil issued multiple apologies in the following days, claiming he had been emotional and denying some of the exact wording attributed to him. Miss Universe co-owner Raúl Rocha Cantú condemned the behavior as “malicious” and restricted Itsaragrisil’s further involvement in official events. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum praised Bosch for standing up to the insult, calling her an inspiration to women fighting machismo.
The pageant faced additional turmoil: Miss Jamaica fell off the stage during the preliminary competition and had to be taken away on a stretcher (she later recovered), two judges resigned amid unsubstantiated rigging allegations, and sponsors reportedly withdrew from a planned gala due to the accumulating controversies.
Jakrajutatip purchased the Miss Universe Organization in October 2022 for $20 million, fulfilling a long-stated ambition to transform the pageant into a platform for female empowerment and inclusivity. In 2023 she opened the competition to married women, mothers, and transgender contestants for the first time. Facing mounting debt at JKN, she sold a 50 percent stake in the pageant to Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú’s Legacy Holding Group in early 2024 for $16 million, turning it into a joint Thai-Mexican operation.
The Miss Universe Organization has repeatedly stressed that Jakrajutatip’s personal legal problems are entirely separate from the pageant’s day-to-day operations and have no impact on its activities. With Rocha Cantú now leading most strategic decisions, the brand has continued to emphasize diversity, women’s rights, and social-impact initiatives.
Nevertheless, the arrest warrant casts a long shadow over Jakrajutatip’s tenure as the first transgender woman to own the iconic contest. Once celebrated as a symbol of resilience and success, she now faces the prospect of arrest upon any return to Thailand, while creditors, regulators, and the courts continue to scrutinize her business empire.
As Fátima Bosch begins her reign with a message of authenticity and self-worth, the future ownership structure and reputation of Miss Universe remain uncertain, with many observers wondering whether the latest crisis marks the end of a turbulent era or merely the beginning of another.
