Difference between BTS and IU - BTS is still tied to Big Hit while IU is her own boss

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yknok

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Elsewhere, I wrote that the highest earning KPop figure of 2017 (when GDragon and DBSK had their military services) was IU, the only time a female figure reached that spot in the history of KPop.

She reached that position thru a bunch of luck ; the highest earning figures were at military and could not earn enough, and she did not spend time in dramas, released two albums and a variety show, and promoted even much more than usual to be stomped by Laboum.

But, even more importantly, Lee Jieun's contract, revised on 2015 after she became a laughingstock of the world in the 2014 MAMA by receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the age of 21 and companies like YG were recruiting her because they could give KPop's most reactionary singer a Grand Prize, allowed her to basically direct all of her activity. In other words, whatever she made and whatever she expended, she would have a complete control.

Such arrangement is only possible for people like Psy and Rain, who were there for a long time, and also JYP(who will probably be paid 100% for his own activities, although for him it doesn't really matter). In other words, those who own their own companies.

In other words, for all practical purposes, IU is her own boss.

That led to her Producer Award (the only time in KPop history when a female got such awards ; even in US and UK women did not receive such award!) at the 2018 Gaon Awards, and made her the highest earning KPop figure on 2017.

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On 2017, IU's income is estimated to be $16 million and expense is estimated to be $7 million, which is quite easy to estimate since she is the only person in her division. In other words, IU is estimated to have pocketed $9 million on 2017 alone (somewhat less in 2018 and 19 when she spent a lot of time doing dramas). And that's when she had very little foreign activities.


Meanwhile, Forbes estimated BTS' 2018 earnings to be 57 million, which is about $8 million and change divided 7 ways. (RM and Suga, who participate in songwriting, make slightly more)

Meanwhile the owner of Big Hit/BTS Hitman Bang's net worth is now estimated to be about $2.0 billion when almost all of Big Hit's income is coming from BTS.

Which is why rumors like JTBC's News Room (which is quite good at digging up political scandals, but very notorious for spewing rumors in the entertainment industry) have gained currency.

BTS reportedly earned $250 million last year , give or take ten million. If BTS keeps 60% of that, that's about $150 million. split to 7 ways and that's $21 million and change, 2019 would be even higher. Even GDragon, whose future is uncertain given the mess YG is in now, and DBSK who still makes great money in Japan will be unable to compete against that.

Elsewhere I said the necessity of Big Hit to promote txt two times to counter X1 probably will cost BTS' best selling album of the world title in one of the two charts which count that. (That charts counts digitals in US and Europe ; the other one only counts physicals. With digitals in US and Europe added, Billie Eilish will beat BTS on the last week of this year, and she owes a big thanks to X1.)

So, while the JTBC thing is fake news, as time goes on rumors of a discord between Hitman Bang and BTS members will persist. After all, world famous BTS members individually earned less than Kpop's Senior Singer whose international appeal is small. Who would not get angry of that?

Tl, dr, BTS individually earned less than IU, because although the aggregate income of BTS and Iu cannot be compared, because IU is her own boss she names her expenses and her own share, while BTS cannot.
 
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