Nawat Itsaragrisil has brought a new and very embarrassing piece of evidence to light for Miss Universe. An exchange dated September 9, 2026, shows that a financial officer of the organization is urgently requesting the release of funds in Puerto Rico, explaining that Miss Universe has gone into "crisis mode" with its suppliers and risks losing some negotiations due to a lack of necessary funds.
The email lends credence to Nawat's repeated warnings about Miss Universe's financial situation. At 7:19 a.m., the organization described a cash flow emergency and requested confirmation of the payment. At 7:47 a.m., just 28 minutes later, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company replied that the payment was already being processed. Nawat stated that it was a new contractual payment of $1 million and that the money was transferred that same day.
Miss Universe openly admits to being "in crisis mode"
The message from September 9th has the subject line "Sponsorship for Miss Universe" . Its author requests confirmation of payment and bluntly describes the situation with the suppliers: "We have entered crisis mode with our suppliers and are on the verge of losing negotiations because we cannot obtain the necessary funds."
The financial manager went on to acknowledge that available resources were already stretched to their limits: “We have stretched our resources, but as you can understand, a show of this scale requires substantial funding.” He concluded his letter with: “I eagerly await your good news!”
These few lines are particularly embarrassing for Miss Universe. For several weeks, Nawat has been publicly denouncing the organization's financial management and releasing numerous documents to support his accusations. This time, Miss Universe's own writings reveal an organization in such dire straits that it warned Puerto Rico it risks losing negotiations with its suppliers if the money doesn't arrive quickly.
28 minutes later, Puerto Rico announces that the payment has already been initiated.
The Puerto Rico Tourism Company's response arrived at 7:47 a.m. In the publicly released exchange, no further requests appear between the initial letter describing the financial crisis and this reply. The PRTC wrote: "The payment is already being processed. I will send you confirmation this afternoon. Always at your service."
The timeline is damning. At 7:19 a.m., Miss Universe explains that it lacks the necessary funds and is on the verge of losing some negotiations with its suppliers. At 7:47 a.m., Puerto Rico indicates that the payment is already being processed. Nawat then claims that this million dollars is indeed transferred and delivered to the organization the same day.
This payment is directly linked to the additional million dollars already revealed in connection with Miss Universe and Puerto Rico . A few days later, Nawat also confirmed that the million had indeed been transferred despite three alerts sent to Puerto Rico.
Nawat is no longer content with simply accusing Miss Universe; he is publishing the documents.
Miss Universe's defense against Nawat is becoming increasingly delicate. The Thai leader is no longer content with simply claiming that the organization is experiencing financial difficulties: he has published a letter in which Miss Universe itself uses the term "crisis mode" and admits to not having the necessary funds to secure certain negotiations.
Nawat summarizes the episode as follows: "Despite the apparent financial and operational problems, the PRTC was willing to provide the additional million dollars in a single day." He continues: "The million dollars was then transferred and given to them that same day."
This new publication clearly reinforces her response in the power struggle against the other side of Miss Universe. Nawat had already published specific financial transactions to support her accusations regarding the use of the organization's funds . The new exchange on September 9th now allows her to bolster another aspect of her claims: the immediate financial difficulties faced by Miss Universe.
$4,5 million had already been disbursed.
Nawat also points out that this urgent request comes after several million dollars have already been disbursed. He mentions $4,5 million paid out prior to this additional million. This $4,5 million figure was subsequently confirmed publicly by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company during its September 15 meeting with the Puerto Rican Senate, which requested that the company provide supporting documentation for expenses incurred with the funds already disbursed.
The public budget allocated for Miss Universe 2026 is $8,7 million. The Puerto Rican Senate is now reviewing contracts and expenses related to the pageant, while the PRTC has committed to providing the detailed budget, proof of payments made with the $4,5 million already disbursed, expense audits, and invoices submitted by JKN Universe LLC.
Miss Universe's own words reinforce Nawat even more
The most embarrassing aspect for Miss Universe lies in a few lines written by its own financial director. Nawat has been claiming for weeks that the organization's financial situation and management are in serious trouble. Miss Universe itself wrote on September 9th that it was in "crisis mode ," lacking the necessary funds and risking losing negotiations with its suppliers.
Nawat now has a document that confirms at least one key element of his statements: at that time, Miss Universe urgently needed money to continue certain operations related to the competition. And while the organization is attempting to publicly refute the Thai executive's accusations, he continues to respond with letters, figures, bank transactions, and precise times.
