On the most recent episode of Mnet's TMI News, they named the K-pop artists and figures that gained the most money in the first half of 2021.

Want to know who ranked at the top? Then keep on reading!

These are the K-Pop Acts Who Earned the Most Money in the First Half of 2021, According to TMI News

On the September 29 episode of Mnet's TMI News , the program named the K-pop artists who gained the most in earnings for the first half of the year. Ranking at number 11 is Brave Girls! Following the reverse run of their 2017 song Rollin', the group's other songs, such as We Ride and High Heels also saw a rise on the charts. This led to the success of their most recent comeback Chi Mat Ba Ram.

The girls' main source of revenue is from advertisements. This year, the girl group has scored 30 brand deals, which earned them the CF Star of the Year award at the Broadcasting Advertising Film Festival.

While the advertising fee of Brave Girls is not known, it is estimated that they earned around 1.5 billion KRW from brand deals alone.

Tenth place went to ASTRO member Cha Eun Woo, who is known for being K-pop's face genius. Cha Eun Woo may be an idol, but the bulk of his earnings come from his drama roles and advertisements.

In 2019, the idol reportedly earned 1.378 billion KRW from two dramas and 12 advertisements.

In the first half of 2021, the male idol bagged numerous brand deals with his so-called Cha Eun Woo effect. These brand deals, paired with the idol's solo fan meeting, led to Cha Eun Woo earning 1.5 billion in the year's first quarter. It is highly likely that Cha Eun Woo has made 3 billion won this whole year.

The next K-pop act mentioned is IU, who ranked at number eight. IU is an all-rounder in the industry who excels in singing, acting, and variety shows.

In 2021, IU released the album LILAC, which has sold over 250,000 copies. It was noted by TMI News that all the songs from the album charted on the Gaon Digital Chart.

With her brand deals and music released in 2021, IU earned 6.5 billion won. The idol is known for giving back and is active in charity. Most recently, to celebrate her 13th anniversary, IU donated winter coats, water bottled, bedding sets, and more to 20 coronavirus clinics in Seoul.

At the start of the year, the girls had their first online concert, and it was reported they made 10.08 billion KRW from ticket sales. They earned an extra 15 billion KRW from merchandise sales.

Adding the profits from their regular YouTube videos and the profit they made from their online concert, BLACKPINK's earnings are estimated to be about 20.8 billion won. They are genuinely luxury K-pop idols!

Ranking at number three is J.Y. Park, the founder and current CCO of JYP Entertainment. He is also an idol under the company. As he is an artist and the founder, CCO, and member of the board of directors, it is no surprise that J.Y. Park has earned the money he has. He also has the most shares in JYP Entertainment, which has caused him to earn a considerable profit.

According to TMI News, J.Y. Park earned about 216.9 billion KRW in 2021.

Who are the Top 2 Figures in K-Pop Who Earned the Most in 2021?

The top two are not idols themselves but play a significant role in the industry. Sitting at number two is SM Entertainment's founder, record executive, and record producer, Lee Soo Man. TMI Newsnoted that due to the activities of the company's artists, the stock price of SM Entertainment has risen gradually.

Because of this, Lee Soo Man has been rumored to sell about 4.39 million shares. This has caused him to earn a profit of at least 268 billion won.

Ranking at number one is the founder of Big Hit Music and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of HYBE Corporation. TMI News stated that as HYBE continued to grow, the company's stock prices also increased. In particular, BTS's Butter is credited for the sudden rise of HYBE's stock prices.

It was reported that Bang SI Hyuk's earnings are six times higher than the stock price valuation of Lee So Man, Park Jin Young, and Yang Hyun Suk combined. In 2021, Bang Si Hyuk earned 3.9 trillion KRW.

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Written by Alexa Lewis