This article was published on June 9, 2025, at 4:26 p.m. on the ChosunBiz MoneyMove site.
Singer G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, reportedly received 20 billion won as a sign-on fee from his agency, Galaxy Corporation.
Of that amount, 10 billion won was received in the form of stock options from Galaxy Corporation, as it is understood that this decision was made due to expectations that the company would grow into a unicorn, defined as a privately held startup valued at over 1 trillion won. In fact, Galaxy Corporation is currently pursuing an initial public offering (IPO), and there are predictions among institutional investors that its valuation will reach the high range of 1 trillion won.
According to the investment banking (IB) industry on the 9th, Galaxy Corporation paid G-Dragon a total of 10 billion won in cash and 10 billion won worth of stock options when signing the contract in November 2023.
When G-Dragon received the stock options, it is reported that Galaxy Corporation's valuation was approximately 470 billion won. His equity stake is estimated to be just over 2%. Currently, the largest shareholder of Galaxy Corporation is CEO Choi Yong-ho (21.99%), with Shinhan Financial, KB Financial, T Investment, Korea Investment Partners, and Crit Ventures listed as financial investors (FIs).
It is assumed that G-Dragon opted to receive half of his sign-on fee in stock options instead of the full amount in cash because he anticipated an increase in his agency's valuation.
G-Dragon's judgment appears to be accurate. Galaxy Corporation is currently working towards being listed on the KOSDAQ market. They have selected Daishin Securities and Shinhan Investment Corp. as the lead underwriters for the listing. Investors believe that Galaxy Corporation's appropriate valuation at the time of listing will be in the mid to high range of 1 trillion won. If successful, the value of G-Dragon's equity holdings could rise to between 20 billion and 30 billion won.
An entertainment industry official noted, “It is also a symbolic act of forming a strategic partnership with the company when an entertainer receives part of their sign-on fee in stock options.”
G-Dragon is well known for his interest and experimental attempts related to content based on new technologies. He is currently working as a visiting professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST and previously showcased a project in April that transmitted audio into space in collaboration with Professor Jin-jun Lee. Another example showcasing his interest in new technologies is the production of a media art video that was displayed on the LED dome 'Sphere' in Las Vegas, United States, and the creation of an OpenAI-based music video in collaboration with Microsoft.
Galaxy Corporation has focused on integrating AI technology and the metaverse into the entertainment industry since its establishment in 2019. They are developing their own AI engine and metaverse environment, aiming to leverage this technology to build commerce platforms and more.