If you’re new to K-pop, there’s one person you ought to know – G-Dragon aka Kwon Ji-yong. Crowned the ‘King of K-pop’, the BigBang member is known for doing some of the most rebellious things in the industry for his generation of idols. His fashion sense, solo artistry, and meteoric rise as BigBang’s leader (and the headline-grabbing controversies) have all made his journey fascinating for fans globally. Childhood stardom, musical success, a ton of infamous scandals and everything in between – the artist’s life is an amalgamation of many highs and lows. Get an up close and personal account of G-Dragon with some interesting facts about him.
After being away from the spotlight for a couple of years, G-Dragon seems to be back in full force with the chart-breaking single Power, the MAMA Awards 2024 performance with the BigBang crew and the musical variety show Good Day. We’re surely excited for this G-Dragon 2.0 era. With the spotlight back on him, many are intrigued about his tumultuous journey to the top. Here are some fascinating facts about G-Dragon.
Lesser-known facts about G-Dragon only devoted fans would know
1. G-Dragon started his musical journey at the age of six
If you thought G-Dragon stepped into showbiz with BigBang, we have news for you. The K-pop star began his career at the age of six as a part of the group Little Roo’Ra. One of the most popular acts of the 1990s, the group unfortunately disbanded shortly after its creation. Soon enough, he was scouted by SM Entertainment at eight years of age. He was a trainee under the record label for five years before joining YG Entertainment in hopes of becoming a rapper.
2. He is childhood friends with T.O.P and approached him to join BigBang
View this post on Instagram
G-Dragon’s prior connection with T.O.P led to the Squid Game 2 star joining BigBang. The two had been childhood friends since middle school and would rap and dance together. However, with G-Dragon’s early foray into showbiz, the two became distant.
They reconnected again when the Crooked hitmaker approached T.O.P while YG was scouting for a boy band. The latter auditioned and after an initial setback, became a part of the band in 2006. Currently, the group has only three members: G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung.
3. The rapper is controversy’s favourite child
If you Google G-Dragon and read the first few articles on his journey, there will be mentions of multiple controversies and allegations about the star. Apart from the multiple drug scandals, G-Dragon has been accused of delaying his military enrollment by using his influence to stall the enlistment date. Even after starting military service, the Korean media outlet Dispatch accused him of getting special treatment by providing adequate proof.
Lastly, there have been several plagiarism issues with his solo music. For instance, Sony Music once highlighted that G-Dragon’s Heartbreaker sounded eerily similar to Flo Rida’s Right Round.
4. G-Dragon has sparked relationship rumours with Jennie of BLACKPINK
View this post on Instagram
Apart from his music releases, G-Dragon also stays in the headlines for his dating rumours. One of the most high-profile relationship rumours surrounding the rapper has been with BLACKPINK’s Jennie. The two were first linked in 2021 following a Dispatch report which confirmed their relationship. Reports of an on-and-off relationship continued till May 2022, when he unfollowed the songstress on Instagram indicating they had broken up.
However, the chatter started again in May 2024. Media reports claimed that the K-pop stars got back together in August 2023 and have been dating since. Solidifying the rumours were glimpses of them sporting strikingly similar attire, from matching rings to scarves. Nonetheless, there has been no official confirmation.
Apart from Jennie, G-Dragon has also been linked with Jung Ho-yeon, Kim Go-eun and Kiko Mizuhara.
5. G-Dragon’s net worth is estimated to be around USD 60 million
View this post on Instagram
According to the South China Morning Post, G-Dragon’s reported net worth was around USD 60 million as of 2022. The BigBang leader has earned impressive sums with the band’s album sales, concerts, brand partnerships and more. He also served as producer and songwriter for many of the band’s songs. In a 2018 report, AllK-pop mentioned that the star approximately earned USD 1.17 million from songwriting royalties alone.
Coming to his investments, G-Dragon has stacked money in multiple restaurants/cafes and owns properties worth USD 47.6 million. Not to miss his swanky luxury car collection, including automobiles like Rolls-Royce Ghost, Bentley Continental GT, Lamborghini Aventador, The Bugatti Mishap as well as the premium electric motorbike Super73. Lastly, he has attracted endorsement deals from luxury frontrunners like Chanel, BMW, Nike, Colette and more.
6. He’s a connoisseur of art with an extensive collection worth millions
View this post on Instagram
A connoisseur of artistic wonders, G-Dragon has rare collectables, paintings, photographs, sculptures and furniture pieces from designers from around the world, making his Seoul penthouse nothing short of an art museum. In an older Instagram post, he flaunted some of the pieces at his home. These included artworks by Alexander Calder and Richard Prince, Jean Prouvé chairs, a rare Man Ray chess set and Hermès pillows, which are priced at millions of dollars.
7. G-Dragon owns a hotel and cafes in Jeju Island
As mentioned earlier, G-Dragon seems to be an ace investor and entrepreneur. In 2012, G-Dragon built a pension hotel in Gyenggi-do and gifted it to his family. He also opened his first cafe on Jeju Island, under the name of ‘Monsant Cafe’. He has another cafe titled Untitled, 2017 (named after one of his songs Untitled, 2014). An artsy affair, the cafe is shaped like a grand piano and is nestled within YG Republique.
8. He has undertaken philanthropy efforts and launched a foundation ‘JusPeace’
G-Dragon has aided many charitable efforts since the beginning of his career. From being associated with the UN Refugee Agency and Red Campaign to fight AIDS to making donations to the Seoul National University Hospital and more – his philanthropy efforts are truly commendable.
More recently, he launched the ‘JusPeace Foundation’, which focuses on supporting artistic talent and combating drug abuse. He reportedly donated around USD 230,000 to help start it and serves as its honorary chairman.
Which of these facts about G-Dragon did you find most fascinating?
This story first appeared in Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong.
(Hero and featured image credit: OfficialGDRAGON/Youtube)
