In a world perpetually distracted by collectibles, there have been few events more globally capturing than Labubu 2025. The mouth-exposed, furry monster with only nine teeth has gone from a cult favorite to a cultural juggernaut, and the one cashing in on it to the tune of becoming a billionaire is Pop Mart CEO Wang Ning.
The brain of Pop Mart International Group is Wang Ning who now enjoys an impressive net worth of $22.1 billion. That number was a relatively puny $1.8 billion just a year ago. The meteoric rise is due to Labubu. Created by toy artist Kasing Lung in 2015 and featured in The Monsters, Labubu quietly gained recognition in specialist circles for years. However, it wasn't until 2023, when Pop Mart featured the character as a collectible keyring on its store shelves, that the monster truly came to life commercially. And from there, it was only a matter of time until Labubu mania was born.
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In 2024, the K-pop megastar Lisa of Blackpink sold her "secret obsession" to Vanity Fair in an interview. Her globe-trotting treasure hunts for Pop Marts in cities such as Paris, New York, and Miami became immediate viral moments. Suddenly, Labubu wasn't a toy, but a lifestyle. From airport vending machines to art exhibitions, Labubu's fuzzy charm is everywhere. And behind the scenes, Wang Ning is cashing in. It's a story of equal parts business acumen and pop culture. Clearly, that has always been Ning's vision for Pop Mart: the notion of bringing together art, the collecting instinct, and the emotional connection. With Labubu, he hits the nail on the head.
The astronomical rise of Ning's fortune is part of a larger story where storytelling intertwines with strategy, and a toy can evolve into a global empire. As Pop Mart continues to grow and Labubu-influenced lines sell out in minutes, there seems to be little doubt that Wang Ning is anything but finished. In the world of toys' new fairy tale, Labubu is the prince, but Wang Ning is the king.
Reviewed by LyricalOdyssey Music
on
July 02, 2025
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