Who owns K-pop giant HYBE?

HYBE is the world’s largest K-pop company and has made waves in the global music industry since breaking BTS.

In recent years, its most high-profile move has been spending more than $1 billion to acquire Scooter Brownof Ithaca Holdings 2021.

Braun joins the HYBE Board of Directors and is now CEO of HYBE Corporation HYBE USA. He remains a significant shareholder in the company, as shown below.

last year, move Enter the fast-growing Latin music market through acquisitions exile musicwhich laid a new foundation HYBE Latin America.

Recently, as part of its new HYBE 2.0 strategy, HYBE launched its labeling services business in the United States and established a company called HYBE Music Group Asia Pacificoversees all of the company’s music label operations in South Korea and Japan.

clearly, move Its goal is to become a major global player in music – and it’s safe to say that it’s achieving that goal.

As of last count, HYBE’s market capitalization was 7.16 trillion won (US$5.37 billion) – not exactly in scale universal music groupbut for a company that was only 19 years old (then known as Hot entertainment).

The company’s revenue in 2023 will be Dollar US$1.66 billionand 64% Which comes from outside the home market of Korea.

Despite its balance sheet success, HYBE’s Share price takes a big hit in 2024; it’s already down 31.68% Year-to-date, as of September 9th.

Much of this decline can be attributed to one general reason – It’s not been a great year for entertainment company stocks – More specific reasons: HYBE and Min Xizhencurrently CEO of HYBE i like itthe label behind the girl group New jeans.

HYBE was evicted smallest From her role i like it in August, after months of feuding between the brand and senior executives.

The company accused Min of orchestrating a conspiracy to seize control of ADOR. smallest has denied the accusations.

(After her expulsion, move Xiang Min was offered a contract to continue working as a producer on NewJeans, but she declined.

All this puts downward pressure on the economy HYBE’s share price, amid questions about how well it will perform HYBE’s multi-label structure – the first project of its kind in South Korea’s booming music industry – is in the works.

A music industry expert said that HYBE’s focus on “competition” rather than “synergy” between labels may be the core of the problem.

It seems true: Min’s original complaint about HYBE was reportedly that girl group youdeveloped by another HYBE brand, Billite Laboratoriesis copying NewJeans.

despite this, move Still a multi-billion dollar company.

But who exactly benefits from its coming-of-age story?

MBW Already dug through dart – Korean Regulatory Filing Information Database – and combine it with data from various research reports to paint a picture HYBE’s shareholding structure today.

Long story short: HYBE’s The largest individual shareholder is its founder…and the company controlled by his brother.

Bang Shi Hyuk

Not surprisingly, HYBE’s largest shareholder is Bang Shi HyukThe company’s founder resigned as CEO in 2021, but still serves as HYBE’s chairman.

After Bang became a billionaire, move It was made public in October 2020, and data shows that he has retained this identity.

According to HYBE’s latest half-year report submitted to DART, as of June 30, 2024, Bang held 13.15 million HYBE’s 41.65 million common stock, or 31.57% total number.

Based on HYBE’s closing price on September 9, the value of this part of the company’s shares 2.17 trillion won (Dollar US$1.619 billion).

Fang Junhyuk and Netmarble Company

This is not unusual for Korea chaebol – Also known as megacorporations – keep ownership within the family while move May not fully qualify chaebol (This is not entirely Samsung or LG), whose ownership structure does echo Korean heritage.

The second largest shareholder of HYBE is Netmarblea video game developer founded in 2000 Mr. Junhyuk – Bang Si Hyuk’s younger brother.

According to HYBE’s semi-annual report, Netmarble owns 3.93 million As of June 30, HYBE stock 9.44% shares of the company. As of September 9, HYBE’s shares were worth $483.8 million.

Netmarble’s stake in HYBE appears to have been diluted in the K-pop company’s IPO. According to Korean news reports, Netmarble initially took 25.71% I held shares in HYBE as early as 2018 (two years before the IPO).

Netmarble’s relationship with HYBE is more than just a financial one: it has partnered with HYBE to develop content, including BTS Worlda game starring members of a K-pop music group.

According to Netmarble’s disclosure, as of the end of 2023, Bang Jun-hyuk owned 24.12% member of Netmarble, effectively giving him control of additional 2.27% HYBE’S.

National Pension Service

HYBE’s third-largest shareholder is the investment arm of Korea’s National Pension Service, the country’s public pension fund.

It’s a big fund: it’s the third-largest public pension fund in the world, with some $850 billion in assets under management.

it holds 2.65 million HYBE stock, or 6.36%worth $325.9 million One last count.

Duna What. Ltd.

The fourth largest shareholder of HYBE is dunamtso., a financial technology company focusing on blockchain asset trading. It operates cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, which is South Korea’s leading cryptocurrency exchange.

Its founder is Song Zhiheng, and Forbes estimates his net worth $950 million.

As of June 20, Duna hold 2.3 million HYBE stock, or 5.53% total number, value is $283.4 million As of September 9th.

base station

Without a doubt, BTS – the boy band composed of catty, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, Vand Jungkookthe music phenomenon that propelled HYBE into becoming the world’s largest K-pop agency, and the group’s seven members were rewarded with large holdings of HYBE stock.

According to research from Korea CXO Research InstituteReleased in late 2023 and reported in Korean media, all seven members of BTS received 68,385 He held shares in the company when the contract was renewed in 2018.

Based on the number of shares outstanding as of June 30, this would give them each approximately 0.16% of the company; however, some of them appear to have sold part of their shares.

According to the Korea CXO Research Institute, as of early 2023, three BTS members had reduced their stakes: J-Hope held 62,784 shares at the time, while RM and Jin held slightly less than that.

However, BTS members’ initial stake in HYBE in 2018 was larger than it is now because they acquired these shares before HYBE’s 2020 IPO.

Calculated based on the closing stock price on the trading day of September 9, holding 68,385 The shares are worth approx. $8.42 million.

In total, seven BTS members earned some 478,695 HYBE stock, or approx. 1.15% Total number of shares outstanding as of June 30.

Scooter Brown

As CEO of HYBE America, Scooter Braun owns a sizeable portion of HYBE: According to HYBE’s semi-annual report, Braun holds 362,292 HYBE stock as of or about June 30 0.87% total number.

As of the share price on September 9, the stock was worth approximately $44.6 million.

other shareholders

HYBE’s midyear disclosure also lists shareholders who are senior executives at the company or its affiliates and who own relatively small stakes in the company.

Notable among them are the above Min Xizhen. As of June 30, ADOR’s former CEO (illustration) 2,700 HYBE stock, or 0.01% According to HYBE’s DART documents, half of the total.

HYBE’s regulatory filings also set out Li Dahui As a shareholder, with 2,161 stock.

Da Hui serves as CEO Pladis Entertainmentanother tag in the HYBE multi-tag system. HYBE acquired a majority stake in Pledis in 2020. Duo Hui’s shareholding amount is 0.0005% All shares outstanding.

According to HYBE’s regulatory filings, it has 90% As of June 30, it held shares in Pledis.

Also listed as shareholders are Li Jiajunis the Head of Operations for Belift Lab, the original brand of HYBE and CJ ENM in 2018 and was fully acquired by HYBE in 2023. Enhanced. According to HYBE’s regulatory filings, it has 100% Beflift Labs as of June 30th.

Lee is listed as the owner 1,562 people HYBE stock, or 0.0004% total number.

then there are Shin Young Jaeuntil recently, President big musicThe entire company uses the HYBE label until 2021, when it changes its name to HYBE. HYBE Music Group Asia Pacific.

According to HYBE’s semi-annual report, Shin holds 1,302 people HYBE stock as of June 30, or 0.0003% total number.

Another famous listed shareholder is Cui JunCEO of HYBE Weaversthe fan platform forms a key part of the K-pop giant’s strategy to monetize its superfans.

Weverse’s user base has grown significantly over the past few years, making the app a buzzworthy phenomenon in the music industry. Some people are not just watching, there are people doing it. universal music group Earlier this year, it invested in Weverse as part of a 10-year exclusive distribution agreement between UMG and HYBE.

As of June 30, Joon only held 60 Holds HYBE shares.

HYBE held 55.4% invest As of June 30, according to Weverse’s regulatory filings.

The company confirmed in its regulatory filing the amount it spent to acquire the company 55.4% Weverse’s stake is 164.4 billion won ($122 million at today’s exchange rate).

according to movethe remaining shares of Weverse are owned by South Korean technology and software companies Neville and “other shareholders”.

Sources told MBW UMG Made a minority investment in Weverse as part of partnership with Weverse moveas announced in March.

2021, Neville Investment of approximately 354.8 billion won (approximately $321.6 million) in HYBE subsidiary beNX – the HYBE subsidiary that developed Weverse. BeNX then acquired Naver’s V LIVE division.

At that time, the board of directors moveThe company then known as Big Hit Entertainment voted to change its name to beNX Weavers Corporation

Then integrate the users, content and services of Weverse and V LIVE to create a single global fan community platform.global music business