How does K-pop idol Sandara Park spend her US$16 million wealth? Dara’s former talent company didn’t renew her contract so she joined girl group 2NE1 and now she’s laughing all the way to the bank

Feb 18 , 2021

Sandara (aka Dara) Park is often spotted in sporty designer threads by Off-White, Nike and Adidas. Photo: @daraxxi/Instagram

In the fractured marketplace of Asian showbiz, it’s not all often that a star manages to find success beyond her home country, but former K-pop girl group member Sandara Park is clearly no ordinary star. Discovered in the Philippines through a talent show called Star Circle Quest, she starred in multiple television shows and films before her talent agency decided not to renew her contract.

Determined to still make it in show business, she eventually signed on with South Korea’s YG Entertainment as a trainee. Two short years later, she was launched onto the world as Dara of 2NE1, and the rest is history.

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While the start of her career might have been tough, Dara now lives comfortably with a whopping estimated net worth of US$16 million.

So what does she like to spend her money on?

Luxury cars

According to K-pop site Koreaboo, Dara cruises around in a red 2017 Range Rover, estimated to be worth around US$900,000. Apart from this, Dara fans have shared photos of her Volkswagen Beetle, that she had redone in bright yellow.

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Designer threads

YG Entertainment stars are known to step out often in designer clothes, and Dara is no different. A favourite of fashion websites, she’s been spotted in a range of brands – from trendy Off-White and Marine Serre, to Gucci and Celine.

The idol doesn’t mind investing in her outfits: she has been spotted in a Vetements jacket worth US$4,000, and even made headlines for casually toting a Celine plastic bag worth US$600.

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A thousand pairs of trainers

In 2020, Dara appeared on YouTube channel DUXX where she discussed her extensive shoe collection. According to her, she has over 1,000 pairs of trainers – or thereabouts. She has so many she’s admitted she’s too overwhelmed to count them all.

She also gave fans a peek of her shoe wardrobe in a video with Vogue Korea, where she shows off some rare pieces from sportswear brands such as Nike and Adidas, alongside luxury brands like Chanel and Balenciaga.

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Charity

Beyond spending on her wardrobe and luxury cars, Dara has also been very generous with her money. In the past, Dara has held bazaars selling items from her own wardrobe to raise money for single mothers.

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More recently, she donated 30,000 masks to children with leukaemia and cancer during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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K-pop, Mandopop and other Asian pop

The former 2NE1 star loves to splash out on Nike, Off-White and Chanel, owns over a thousand pairs of trainers and a bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle
She’s a big supporter of single mothers and children with life threatening diseases, giving a considerable chunk of her wealth away too