Miss Universe 2025 contestants at a welcome event in Bangkok on Nov. 5.
Photographer: NurPhoto SRL / Alamy Stock Photo
Miss Universe Meltdown: Men, Money and the Battle for a Beauty Empire
The contest is caught between two men’s clashing visions — one rooted in tradition, the other in TikTok commerce — revealing an industry at war with itself.
There’s a brawl at Miss Universe this year. Not between contestants, but between the two men running it.
On one side is Raúl Rocha Cantú, a Mexican businessman and president of the Miss Universe Organization — the international body that owns and operates the global pageant. On the other is Nawat Itsaragrisil, a Thai entrepreneur with a flair for TikTok and melodrama, who owns the franchise in Thailand and is hosting this year’s competition.