Earlier this year, Donald Trump’s negative remarks about Mexican immigrants caused a lot of controversy surrounding the Miss Universe Pageant. In reaction, he decided to buy NBCUniversal’s share of the pageant, gaining full control over the event. Trump announced on Twitter that he now fully owns the Miss Universe Organization and has resolved all legal disputes with NBC.
An NBCUniversal representative confirmed that Trump purchased their stake in the Miss Universe Organization and settled all the legal issues.
Considering the declining popularity of the Miss Universe brand in many Spanish-speaking countries, Trump likely didn’t have to pay a significant amount for the remaining share. For example, Miss Mexico withdrew from this year’s pageant because of Trump’s immigration comments.
The next big question is whether Trump can rejuvenate the Miss Universe brand. As with many things involving Trump, it wouldn’t be surprising if he managed to turn the situation to his advantage.