New Miss World is backed by a Thai billionaire, Aunt Ly refuses to sell the contest

70-year-old billionaire Supaluck Umpujh attracted attention when she danced throughout the event welcoming Miss World 2025 Suchata Chuangsri back to her home country of Thailand. She owns assets of more than 1.8 billion USD.

Miss World 2025 Suchata Chuangsri has returned to Thailand after more than 2 weeks of being crowned the 72nd Miss World in India. Accompanying the Thai beauty on the trip was Ms. Julia Morley - President of Miss World.

After leaving the airport, Suchata Chuangsri had a parade, passing through many streets in Thailand. Tens of thousands of people continued to surround the beauty queen on many streets.

Following Suchata Chuangsri's parade car was the car carrying Julia Morley - President of Miss World. Also on the car was 70-year-old billionaire - Supaluck Umpujh. She was the main sponsor of Suchata Chuangsri's homecoming ceremony.

Ms Supaluck Umpujh wore a brightly colored dress as she sat next to Ms Julia Morley in the car. During the parade, the billionaire was excited, jumping on the seat, waving flags and cheering along with the crowd standing on both sides of the road.

A video of Supaluck Umpujh’s excitement and joy during the parade has attracted attention on social media. International beauty fans are curious about the background of the 70-year-old billionaire.

Ms. Supaluck Umpujh is currently the chairwoman of The Mall Group - one of the largest shopping mall and department store operators in Thailand, founded by her father, Mr. Supachai Umpujh.

The Umpujh retail empire includes the famous shopping malls Siam Paragon, Emporium, EmQuartier and Emsphere. Ms. Supaluck is ranked 13th on the Forbes list of Thailand's billionaires, with a fortune of more than 1.8 billion USD.

Currently, Thai beauty forums are spreading information that Ms. Supaluck Umpujh will bring the Miss World contest to Thailand, however the female billionaire has not confirmed it.

In a recent interview, Ms. Julia Morley - President of Miss World also shared that many billionaires have expressed interest in buying the Miss World contest.

"There have been many private companies that have wanted to buy Miss World, but I don't want to sell it. Remember, I am Julia Morley - the chairwoman of Miss World - who has been steadfast and refused to sell this contest to the private sector. I want to change the image of the beauty pageant scene with a vision that emphasizes the value of women over their appearance, instead of pushing this contest into the entertainment industry," said Julia.

Ms. Julia added that the Miss World pageant's Beauty for a Cause charity fund has raised more than $1.2 billion so far.

"That's just the mone.y for my project, not to mention other assets. I have a lot of mone.y so I don't need to sell my ideals. I want to honor the true value of women," she added.

Miss World is the world's first global beauty pageant, organized by Eric Morley in 1951. It was originally a swimsuit competition in England. However, due to its great success and the fact that the media often called the winner Miss World, Morley decided to turn Miss World into an annual beauty pageant.

To participate in Miss World, candidates must win a national competition and gain the right to represent their country (through a state-issued competition permit). When they reach Miss World, the beauties continue to go through a number of judging programs, interact with local people, participate in television events and outdoor activities, compete in sub-competitions... before being announced with awards and titles in the final night.

The sub-competitions within the framework of the competition include:

– Miss Sport: Candidates will have to undergo sports activities to demonstrate their ability to train their health and physical fitness. The winner of this award will be given a special entry into the top 16.

– Talent Show: Contestants have the opportunity to show off their talents, abilities, and strengths through a performance on stage. Contestants who win the Talent Show are automatically promoted to the semi-finals of the competition.

– Miss Fashion, or National Costume (Top Model): Contestants will perform fashion designs or traditional costumes of their ethnic group. The winner of this award will be automatically qualified to the semi-finals of the competition.

In addition, Miss World also has a subsidiary award, Beauty with a Purpose, for those who regularly participate in charity and social activities in their home country, as evidenced by a video clip sent to the Organizing Committee.

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