Naoko Takeuchi launched Sailor Moon in 1991, and what started as a shoujo manga in Nakayoshi magazine quickly became a global phenomenon that reshaped girls’ comics and animation.

Wealth trackers and manga rich lists now peg her personal net worth at approximately forty million dollars, a figure that reflects decades of sustained earnings from one of anime’s most iconic franchises. ​

The manga itself moved fast from its debut. By the end of its original run in 1997, Sailor Moon had over thirty million copies in circulation in Japan alone, according to sales reports and franchise histories.

Takeuchi followed it with side stories and specials, and global licensing pushed the worldwide total past fifty million copies, including English editions and translations that introduced the scouts to new generations.

That print success formed the core of her fortune. Royalty breakdowns for top manga creators often highlight how a single hit can generate ongoing income through reprints, box sets, and digital sales, and Sailor Moon’s enduring popularity means Takeuchi’s work continues to sell steadily decades later.

Pop culture finance pieces frequently list her among the top ten richest mangaka, placing her net worth in the thirty to forty million range based on circulation and licensing scale. ​

Takeuchi’s personal life adds context to her financial story. She married Yoshihiro Togashi , the Hunter x Hunter creator, in 1999, and the couple has children, which has occasionally drawn attention to their combined wealth.

While individual figures are estimates, her Sailor Moon earnings stand on their own, bolstered by the series’s role as a cultural touchstone that still inspires cosplay, fan art, and conventions worldwide.

Anime Revivals, Films, And The Endless Merch Pipeline

Sailor Moon’s adaptation history turned manga sales into a multimedia empire, and that expansion is key to Takeuchi’s 2026 net worth picture.

The original anime ran from 1992 to 1997 across five seasons, followed by three feature films and specials that introduced the story to television audiences. Crystal, a reboot launched in 2014, updated the visuals and stayed closer to the manga, running for two seasons plus movies that wrapped the arc in 2016.

Those anime runs opened doors to film revenue. The Sailor Moon Eternal films , released in 2021 as part of the Crystal project, drew strong streaming numbers and disc sales, helping to refresh interest in the franchise during a pandemic slump.

Box office and streaming data show that Sailor Moon entries consistently perform well in Japan, with recent musical tie-ins and anniversary screenings adding to the tally.

Merchandise takes the money machine to another level. Sailor Moon ranks among the highest-grossing media franchises, with estimates placing its total revenue at over sixteen billion dollars worldwide from toys, apparel, school supplies, and collaborations.

Licensing trackers note that the scouts appear on everything from high-end fashion lines to fast food promotions, and Takeuchi’s designs drive demand for figures, jewelry, and home goods that sell year-round.

Naoko Takeuchi Net Worth: The Sailor Moon creator’s 2026 fortune - 1

Sailor Moon (Credit: Netflix)

Stage musicals provide yet another revenue stream. The Sera Myu productions ran for two decades, starting in 1993, with hundreds of performances across multiple casts and story arcs.

Revived versions and international tours have extended that run into the 2020s, turning Sailor Moon into a live entertainment staple that keeps the brand visible and monetizable. For Takeuchi, these extensions mean her intellectual property generates income across formats, even when she is not actively drawing new pages.

Legacy Licensing And 2026’s Growing Fortune

Takeuchi’s wealth in 2026 looks particularly strong because Sailor Moon has mastered the art of staying relevant without relying on constant new content.

The franchise celebrates frequent anniversaries with compilation releases, remastered anime, and crossover events that pull in both nostalgic adults and younger fans discovering the Scouts for the first time.

Global streaming plays a huge role here. Sailor Moon anime is available on platforms like Netflix and Crunchyroll, where algorithm recommendations often pair it with modern magical girl titles, driving new viewers to manga volumes and merchandise.

Sales figures from 2023 show the franchise still charting in Japan’s top manga lists during anniversary pushes, proving that circulation numbers keep climbing past the fifty million mark.

Recent collaborations underscore the licensing power. Partnerships with brands like Gucci and Sanrio have put Sailor Moon characters on luxury bags and themed cafes, while video games and mobile apps provide digital income.

Franchise revenue lists from sources like The Numbers and Wikipedia place Sailor Moon in the top tier of anime properties, with cumulative earnings that dwarf many peers thanks to its broad appeal across age groups and markets.

Takeuchi has stepped back from full-time creation since the nineties, focusing instead on supervision and family, but her oversight ensures quality control on new projects. That hands-off approach suits a franchise built for longevity, where the original fifty-two manga chapters support endless adaptations and products.

Net worth estimates around forty million dollars factor in this diversified setup, with outlets like Otakusmart and CBR ranking her solidly among manga’s elite based on Sailor Moon’s sales and spin-offs.

As 2026 unfolds with more streaming milestones and potential new musicals or films, Takeuchi’s fortune appears positioned to hold steady or grow, a testament to how one woman’s vision from the early nineties created a self-sustaining empire that still sparkles brightly.

When V and Jennie were filmed strolling by the Seine holding hands in Paris in May 2023, many fans treated it as an unofficial soft launch of a relationship that had already been buzzing for a year.

French media and global entertainment outlets highlighted the clip, while Korean sites noted that both HYBE and YG repeated a familiar line about “privacy” and said they could not confirm anything about the artists’ personal lives. ​

That silence only amplified a rumor timeline that actually stretched back to late 2021, when V briefly followed Jennie on Instagram shortly after opening his account and quickly unfollowed once fans noticed.

Claims of Jeju Island sightings in 2022, leaked photos allegedly showing them on dates, and coordinated fashion details turned a simple accidental follow into a full narrative that fans, YouTubers, and blogs pieced together in real time.

By December 2023, Korean outlets such as JTBC were reporting that the two had broken up shortly before V enlisted for his mandatory military service, citing anonymous industry sources.

Coverage from Indian and international entertainment sections framed it as a quiet split, with no agency statement and no denial, which left room for every theory, from a mutual, practical decision to a story exaggerated by unverified leaks. ​

Military Clock, Paris Memories: Why The Story Is Back Now

V enlisted in the South Korean army on December 11, 2023, entering service alongside RM after a final Weverse live for fans.

Military timelines published by Korean and international outlets projected his discharge for June 10, 2025, making him one of the last BTS members to complete service as the group prepared for a full-team comeback.

With strict schedules and limited public appearances, his romantic life mostly disappeared from view, which should have cooled rumors but instead turned older “evidence” into a nostalgic touchpoint for fans. ​

As 2025 moved forward, media in India and elsewhere noted how little had actually been confirmed, even as small details kept reigniting curiosity.

Naoko Takeuchi Net Worth: The Sailor Moon creator’s 2026 fortune - 2

V (BTS) and Jennie (Credit: CNN)

Reports pointed to V’s accessories, including a necklace some fans believed carried the letters “JV,” and to social posts from Jennie’s creative circle that seemed to reference his ceremonial baseball pitch in Los Angeles while using her music, feeding speculation that subtle references had replaced any overt couple content. ​

Then came the Tyler, the Creator concert in Seoul and similar high-profile events. Entertainment sections from outlets such as the Economic Times and K-pop news aggregators detailed how V attended with RM and J-Hope, while Jennie appeared separately yet posted her own backstage shots with the same American rapper and overlapping merchandise.

Fans who had tracked their timeline from Instagram follows to Paris footage treated the concert as a post-military soft reset, while more skeptical voices argued it simply reflected two global stars sharing mutual industry circles. ​

Staged Photos, Fandom Fatigue, And What Rumors Mean In 2026

The V–Jennie story took another sharp turn in October 2025 when an X user claimed that some of the viral couple images were staged with involvement from Jennie’s team and the notorious leaker known as Gurumi Haribo.

K-pop outlet roundups looked at the alleged confession, which suggested that edits and photos were created for “business” reasons, and highlighted the backlash from fans who insisted both idols had been victims of privacy violations and weaponized gossip. ​

Articles by KBIZoom and other Korean entertainment sites have also traced how Jennie’s dating life became a recurring flashpoint, from earlier G-Dragon speculation to the V narrative and then to her later decision to address rumors more directly in interviews and video appearances.

At the same time, timelines compiled by fan-driven news hubs and mainstream outlets describe the V-Jennie situation as one of K-pop’s longest-running rumor cycles, stretching from 2021 to at least late 2025 with no clear on-record confirmation from either company.

Pieces from sites such as KBIZoom and PopRant highlight how every new overlap, from similar outfits to shared locations, now lands in a fandom that is split between shippers who still believe in a lasting romance and listeners who worry more about harassment, invasive stalking, and the mental health cost of constant surveillance. ​

Military discharge added another layer. With V scheduled to complete service in mid-2025 and BTS planning a full-group return soon after, industry analysts quoted in outlets like Today.com and News18 have argued that renewed dating chatter could clash with tightly managed comeback campaigns if not handled carefully.

Jennie’s own post-YG career, including her work with new management and global luxury projects, makes her similarly cautious about any narrative that might overshadow business moves. ​

What emerges from this mix of reports, rumors, and corrections is less a simple celebrity love story and more a case study in how modern pop culture processes relationships.

Leaked content, algorithm-driven feeds, and cross-platform fan speculation can keep a rumored couple “alive” years after the real relationship has changed or ended, while official silence leaves just enough space for every new sighting or symbol to feel loaded. ​

As of the latest coverage at the end of 2025, no outlet can point to a fresh, on-record statement about V and Jennie getting back together after his military service, and both HYBE and YG maintain the same line about respecting privacy.

Yet the story persists across Indian entertainment pages, K-pop YouTube channels and global social platforms, proving that for some fandoms, the question of “are they or aren’t they” has become less about a definitive answer and more about the ongoing thrill, frustration, and emotional investment of not quite knowing.