‘HE WAS PROMISED THE MOON’: Claims Emerge EXO’s Baekhyun Suffered £36Million Financial Losses in Luxury Villa Deal Amid Ongoing Agency Dispute

K-pop superstar Baekhyun has found himself at the centre of explosive financial allegations following claims that he suffered staggering losses totalling hundreds of billions of won during contract negotiations with entertainment executives. The allegations surfaced amid the broader corporate controversy involving hip-hop artist MC Mong and Chairman Cha Ga Won, with entertainment commentator and YouTuber Lee Jin Ho asserting that the EXO vocalist may have been the most severely impacted victim of the high-profile business dealings.

In a detailed video analysis published on August 22, Lee outlined how the alleged damages were directly tied to Baekhyun’s exclusive representation agreement with label ONE HUNDRED. The commentary also revisited persistent tampering allegations surrounding the artist’s initial recruitment, detailing claims that MC Mong had approached the singer while he still had active time remaining on his exclusive contract with his long-time management agency, SM Entertainment.

The Unbuilt Luxury Penthouse: USD 25.5 Million Signing Fee Allegations

According to the claims presented in the broadcast, Baekhyun was initially promised an eye-watering contract signing fee valued at USD 25.5 million (KRW 35 billion) to join the label. However, rather than receiving the colossal sum as a direct cash transfer, the singer was allegedly promised a high-end luxury villa located within the prestigious Eterno development. Industry evaluations noted that an Eterno penthouse unit held a publicly assessed value of USD 23.7 million (KRW 32.57 billion) as of 2026, with Chairman Cha Ga Won reportedly promising the vocalist a luxury residence in the forthcoming Eterno Phase 3 development.

However, the commentator revealed that while Eterno Phase 2 remains under active construction, Phase 3 has not even entered the development stage. Criticising the contractual promise as unrealistic, Lee argued that the executive was never in a legitimate position to deliver the property to the pop star.

“There are many victims from this situation, but there is one person who suffered the biggest loss,” Lee stated during the video. “He signed the exclusive contract after being enticed by the promise of a house worth KRW 35 billion, but Phase 3 hasn’t even been built. It’s no different from a swindler promising to sell the moon. Chairman Cha Ga Won wasn’t even in a position to give Baekhyun Eterno Phase 3.”

Unpaid Settlements and Lanouve Hannam Deposit Concerns

The alleged financial damages extend far beyond the promised property signing incentive. According to the report, Baekhyun paid an enormous USD 11.7 million (KRW 16 billion) lease deposit upon moving into a residence at the exclusive Lanouve Hannam complex. Drawing direct comparisons to actor and singer Lee Seung Gi, who reportedly faced severe challenges recovering a KRW 10.5 billion lease deposit earlier this month, the commentator expressed extreme pessimism regarding whether the EXO member would successfully recoup his funds.

“There’s more than a 99% chance Baekhyun won’t be able to recover his deposit either,” Lee speculated, while adding that KRW 12 billion in unpaid settlements constitutes another significant source of alleged loss. “If you add everything together, the damages amount to USD 46 million (KRW 63 billion) in purely mathematical terms.”

Lee predicted that the escalating situation could soon culminate in formal legal disputes over the multi-million-pound sums, noting that Chairman Cha Ga Won’s detention could accelerate formal legal actions to recover the missing assets. However, the claims and calculations presented in the broadcast have not been independently verified.

Background to the Smouldering Legal Battle with SM Entertainment

The financial claims arrive against the backdrop of an ongoing legal war between SM Entertainment and EXO sub-unit CBX—comprising Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin. On June 1, 2023, the trio formally notified SM of their intention to terminate their exclusive contracts, pointing to a failure to provide transparent settlement documentation and criticizing excessively long contract durations. While the dispute appeared to be settled on June 18, 2023, following a negotiated mutual agreement, tensions flared once again.

Both parties are now locked in active court proceedings following accusations that Big Planet Made, the parent company of CBX’s current agency INB100, engaged in unlawful artist tampering by attempting to recruit the singers before their formal contracts with SM Entertainment had concluded. As the wider corporate investigations and legal disputes proceed, fans and industry analysts continue to monitor the unfolding situation closely.