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BTS is the biggest name in South Korea right now.
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Please welcome BTS.
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- BTS! - BTS.
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- BTS! - BTS!
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BTS is the first group to have 3 number-1 albums in a year since The Beatles.
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And their music video for "Boy With Luv" smashed the record for the most-watched YouTube video in 24 hours when it was released in April 2019.
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"Forbes" listed the group on its Celebrity 100 list of the world's highest-paid entertainers of 2019.
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Ranked at number 43, they earned $57 million in pre-tax income in the last year.
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A majority of those earnings came from their "Love Yourself: Speak Yourself" world tour, which grossed $44 million from just 6 US stadium shows.
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And that is only part of their fortune.
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Here's how the members of BTS make and spend their money.
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(How the members of BTS make and spend their money.)
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BTS amassed their fortune through their music, album sales, concerts, merchandise, and brand deals.
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Their April 2019 album, "Map of the Soul: Persona", sold nearly 3.4 million copies within a month and set a record high in South Korea.
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They've also landed endorsement deals and partnerships with brands like Coca-Cola, Hyundai, and Puma.
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The group seems to turn anything they touch into a major success.
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In 2018, Hyundai made them global brand ambassadors for its new Palisade SUV.
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BTS released two concert films that also contributed to their cash flow.
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Their 2018 movie, "Burn the Stage", grossed over $20 million worldwide.
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And their most recent film, "Love Yourself in Seoul", brought in over $10 million during its January 2019 release.
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BTS is worth over $3.6 billion a year to South Korea's economy.
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They increased South Korea's popularity, contributing to a surge in tourism.
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An estimated 800,000 tourists reportedly chose South Korea as their travel destination because of BTS.
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Their popularity also boosted the appeal of South Korean products, such as clothes, cosmetics, and food.
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eBay, in particular, saw an increase in merchandise sales thanks to BTS.
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eBay Korea said in April 2019 that sales had risen by more than 50 percent since the previous April.
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The country now has at least a billion dollars' worth of consumer exports associated with BTS.
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And they're projected to bring in an economic value of $37 billion over the next 10 years.
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Talk about being a national treasure.
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K-pop isn't new to the world.
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Back in the late 2000s, before BTS debuted, many groups were slowly paving the way for the genre's growing popularity.
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BTS was formed by a company called BIGHIT [MUSIC] Entertainment.
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But in 2007, BIGHIT [MUSIC] almost went bankrupt.
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CEO Bang Si-hyuk managed to keep the company afloat with the success of previous K-pop groups he had managed.
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He formed BTS in 2010, and the group officially debuted in 2013.
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Because BTS struggled with media exposure in South Korea, they took a nontraditional marketing approach by connecting with their fans through social media, and they slowly built up a dedicated fan base known as the ARMY.
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Bang attributes BTS' success to the connection they share with their fans.
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This led to sold-out concerts, record sales, and being the world's most tweeted-about celebrities.
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Thanks to BTS, BIGHIT [MUSIC] Entertainment is worth an estimated $2 billion.
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And Bang alone is worth $770 million.
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With his current fortune, Bang rented a $6.5-million mansion for BTS in Hannam the Hill, one of the most expensive complexes in South Korea.
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But how do the members of K-pop's richest band spend their money?
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Although they share a mansion, some of them still have their own apartments.
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Jin reportedly spent $1.7 million in cash on his apartment at Hannam the Hill.
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J-Hope and Jungkook also bought apartments in the Seoul Forest Trimage, known as one of the most luxurious apartments in Seoul.
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J-Hope bought his for a reported $1.6 million back in 2016, while Jungkook reportedly spent $1.74 million in cash when he purchased his unit in late 2018.
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Suga also bought a $3-million apartment in the Hannam district around the end of 2018.
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The boys are also known for their bold fashion and style.
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While it's common for celebrities to land sponsorships with luxury brands, BTS reportedly doesn't accept these kinds of deals, instead, choosing the brands they actually want to wear.
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Some of their favorite luxury pieces come from Supreme, Gucci, Givenchy, and Mastermind, each ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
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In addition to luxury living, some of the members have exotic pets.
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Jin currently has a leucistic sugar glider named Gukmul, which translates to "soup".
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Sugar gliders can cost anywhere between $100 to $5,000, and leucistic sugar gliders typically cost between $1,500 and $2,500.
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The other members have more common household pets.
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V owns the most pets in the group.
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He has four dogs and one cat.
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While he hasn't confirmed the breeds of his pets, fans speculate he has a teacup Pomeranian, a Korean Jindo, and a chinchilla Persian cat, all the expensive breeds.
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Suga also has a Toy Poodle named Holly.
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Toy Poodles can cost thousands of dollars, depending on gender and coat.
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Although they have a lavish lifestyle, the BTS members are known for their humble personalities and don't publicly flaunt their fortunes.
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The members have donated to many charities, including food banks, animal shelters, and children's medical funds.
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And in 2017, they partnered with UNICEF to launch the LOVE MYSELF campaign, which is aimed at promoting self-confidence and ending violence.
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The campaign has raised over $1.4 million worldwide.
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And in September 2018, BTS became the first K-pop group to address the United Nations.
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If there's anything that I've achieved,
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it was only possible that I have my other BTS members right by my side,
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and because of the love and the support that our ARMY fans all over the world made for us.
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Thank you very much.