Miss Universe Is About to Change-Because *I* Just Took Over

If you're surprised to hear the brand formerly owned by Donald Trump is now run by a trans woman, I get it. I am too.

- ANNE JAKAPONG JAKRAJUTATIP| HANNAH CHUBB

I knew from the age of 5 that I was born in the wrong body. I grew up as a boy named Andrew in a conservative family in Thailand. I was a shy kid, spending nearly all my waking hours at my parents' video store in Bangkok, teaching myself English and dreaming of visiting the countries I saw on film. At school, I was bullied relentlessly for being different and was even sexually assaulted by a male teacher. At home, my family was adamant that I suppress any hint of femininity I felt inside. They like the rest of the adults in my life-made it clear they would not accept me if I was queer. I felt so much shame, I was afraid to be myself.

Still, womanhood meant (and still does mean) so much to me. When I'd sit down to watch the Miss Universe competitions with my sister and mother, the delegates represented everything I wanted to be: a strong, powerful woman of the world. I decided I would start by becoming successful beyond belief to show everyone they were wrong about me.

Fast-forward to my 20s, when I earned my first million baht (nearly $30,000 USD) by taking what I learned in my parents' store and creating a media content company. I could see VHS tapes and DVDs were becoming a thing of the past, so I shifted to buying and selling the rights to Thai movies and TV shows. In my 30s, I took my company, JKN Global Group, public on the Thai Stock Exchange and became a Thai billionaire (1 billion baht is about $29 million USD). I'd achieved my first goal: People saw me as successful. But I hadn't yet achieved personal fulfillment.