- By Swati Singh
- Sat, 28 Feb 2026 07:59 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
BTS member V, born Kim Taehyung, emerged as the most searched Kpop artist worldwide in 2025, according to aggregated Google Trends data. He topped search rankings across 77 of 81 tracked regions, including the US, UK, Japan, France and Brazil, despite making limited public appearances while completing his mandatory military service in South Korea during the first half of the year.
His strong presence on Google Trends reflects widespread global curiosity that extends beyond core K-pop fans, reaching mainstream audiences across diverse markets. The feat was further reinforced by multiple rankings, with Forbes Korea naming him the No. 1 male Korean idol of 2025, while HypeAuditor placed him third globally among influencers, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and ahead of Selena Gomez and Kendall Jenner.
V’s commercial influence matched his massive popularity in 2025, with major brand partnerships including Coca-Cola, Snow Peak, TIRTIR, YUNTH, Compose Coffee and Paradise City. Notably, his high-value Compose Coffee deal, reportedly worth about 6 billion won, continued actively through the year, featuring new product launches and ad campaigns even after his military discharge.
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These partnerships highlight a wider trend of brands leveraging Kpop stars beyond music, positioning leading idols as powerful cross-industry influencers who drive product sales, tourism and brand visibility.
On social media, V continued to command massive engagement, with millions of Instagram followers and tens of millions of Wikipedia views throughout the year. Supported by lucrative endorsements and the strong performance of his solo album Layover, he is now widely regarded as the wealthiest BTS member, with an estimated net worth of around $40 million.