BTS has been topping the charts and taking all the hardware at awards shows, and have garnered the attention of millions of fans across the globe. They have generated a fan following that is so dedicated, and so loyal, that they have their very own identity. Their 'army' or 'BTS army' stands loyally behind the Korean K-Pop band, and contribute to the enormity of their current wealth. Fan support and record-breaking music sales aren't their only income stream though. Especially not this week. Just a few days ago, the boys from BTS cashed in to the tune of $8.4 million by selling shares of stocks that were given to them as a gift!
Imagine going to sleep one night and waking up $8.4 million richer for doing nothing at all. RM, Jin, and J-Hope don't have to imagine this at all - this is very much their current reality. The members of BTS are certainly not poor, but that payout was a pretty substantial one, considering there was very little effort involved. The best part about it is the fact that the shares they sold had been gifted to them, making this quite possibly the most lucrative gift any of them have ever received.
Sources reveal that in 2020, Hybe Corp., originally known as Big Hit Entertainment "gave the members a combined 479,000 shares, a 1.41% stake in the company, before going public 14 months ago. Those shares nearly doubled their value upon their IPO debut, and are now valued at some $165 million."
That means the lucky members of this band have generated $8.4 million in 14 months. For those with peaked curiosity, Hybe stocks trade on the Korea Exchange and the generous shares were given to the band members by the founder, Bang Si-hyuk. He had originally given them 68,385 shares that have shot up to $358.16 just last month.
Out of the shares that they had in their possession, 16,000 shares worth $4.1 million were held by Jin, 5,601 shares valued at $1.57 million were J-Hopes and $2.75 million were held by RM. The three band members sold roughly 31,986 combined shares in exchange for their $8.4 million payout.
Being given these shares has truly been a game-changer for these BTS members, making the original shares a gift that keeps on giving.
Sources: The News, The Street