G-Dragon (GD, Kwon Ji-yong) has taken the global music scene by storm with his genius-level creative abilities, and the rapid accumulation of his astonishing wealth along with his precise investment acumen has also become a hot topic among the public. It is reported that he can earn a steady income of 1.4 billion KRW (about 3.76 million MYR) solely from copyright earnings, making him the first Korean artist to qualify for an 'unlimited limit black card.'
Since his debut in 2006, GD has accumulated nearly 200 creative works. Industry data shows that even without any entertainment activities, GD can earn 1.4 billion KRW annually from copyright income alone, consistently ranking at the top of the copyright earning pyramid in Korea. This has made him one of the few idol artists allowed into the core creators circle of the Korea Music Copyright Association. Such stable passive income has been regarded as his strongest financial backing.
Aside from his undefeated legend in the music field, GD’s business maneuvering after signing with a new agency has also been impressive. In 2023, after officially leaving his former agency 'YG Entertainment,' he did not choose to receive the full signing bonus in cash when signing with the new company. Instead, he converted half of it into company shares, which proved very successful. In 2024 alone, this move generated a spectacular revenue of as much as 300 billion KRW (about 800 million MYR).
GD’s influence has already extended into multiple fields such as fashion, investment, and real estate. His asset portfolio is also of significant scale: he once bought a luxury mansion in full cash for 16.4 billion KRW (about 44.14 million MYR). He is also the first Korean artist to qualify for an 'unlimited limit black card,' a symbol of top-tier financial status in society. This firmly establishes his unshakable leading position in the wealth hierarchy of Korea’s entertainment industry.