Internet-Famous Doll Makes CEO $1.6B Richer

Buzz Feed

21-05-2025

You see this tiny fanged gremlin-looking doll? Well, it just made someone $1.6 billion richer in a single day.
No, it's not AI. It's Labubu —a creepy-cute vinyl figure that looks like it crawled out of a dream you had after bingeing Tim Burton movies. And somehow, it's become the internet's newest obsession.
Labubu is part of a designer toy line called The Monsters, made by the Chinese company Pop Mart. The toy has been around for a while, quietly building a cult following.
From Rihanna casually strolling through LAX with a pink Labubu swinging from her bag, to fashion icon Bryanboy clipping one onto a rare Hermès platinum tote like it's no big deal—Labubu has officially gone from collectible toy to chaotic fashion accessory.
Labubu is part of a designer toy line called The Monsters, made by the Chinese company Pop Mart. The toy has been around for a while, quietly building a cult following.
by u/Lindseyszn in labubu
But things exploded when Pop Mart went public (again) on the Chinese A-share market on May 15, 2025. The result? A buying frenzy so intense it sent the company's valuation through the roof—enough to make its CEO Wang Ning $1.6 billion richer in just 24 hours. Yes, with a B.
Instagram: @nbcchicago
So, what's the big deal? Labubu is not just a toy—it is a phenomenon.
Think blind boxes you queue for at 6 a.m., limited editions that sell out in seconds, and resale prices that are climbing faster than concert tickets to a Taylor Swift show.
TikTok is flooded with unboxings, hauls, and collectors showing off rare Labubu designs like they're vintage Rolexes. People are calling themselves 'Labubu addicts' unironically. We've officially entered the era of designer toy mania.
Instagram: @backstitchbruja
Pop Mart isn't new to this game—it's had other hits like Molly and Dimoo. But Labubu is different. It's the breakout star.
There's something weirdly magnetic about the design—those jagged teeth, that wide-eyed stare, the chaotic energy it brings to your shelf. It taps into the part of your brain that finds ugly things cute and terrifying things comforting. And the internet is eating it up.
But it doesn't end here. The toy also has its own cryptocurrency. In the last 24 hours alone, it racked up $9.5 million in trading volume. And since May 14, the number of wallets holding $LABUBU has surged.
$LABUBU just keeps printing green candles everyday 📈 pic.twitter.com/1IvsxBVKHs
— LooksRekt (@Looks_Rekt) May 19, 2025
Twitter: @Looks_Rekt
Launched in 2024 on the Ethereum platform, the LABUBU coin is inspired by the chaotic little gremlin, originally created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung. What started as a collectible designer toy is now also a full-blown MEME coin. Translation? The internet's obsession has officially gone crypto.
What started in niche toy circles has now gone full cultural migration mode, popping up in the front rows of fashion week and on the arms of the stylish and unbothered. Thanks to the star stamp of approval, Labubu didn't just go global—it went viral with a passport.
Instagram: @timeoutdubai
In a way, it makes sense. We live in a world where niche becomes mainstream in a matter of days, and where emotional attachment to tiny plastic things is a real, bank-breaking phenomenon. Labubu isn't just merch—it's identity, serotonin, and status. And in a plot twist that's peak 2025, that vibe just made someone a billionaire.
So if you start seeing a little creature with wild hair and way too many teeth popping up on your feed, now you know: it's Labubu. It's weird. It's wonderful. And it's richer than all of us combined.