(G)I-DLE Minnie: Biography, Profile, Net Worth 2025, Career, and Background

Profile:

Stage Name: Minnie (민니; ミンニ; มินนี่)

Birth Name: Nicha Yontararak (ณิชา ยนตรรักษ์)

Korean Name: Kim Min Hee (김민희)

Date of Birth: October 23, 1997

Place of Birth: Bangkok, Thailand

Nationality: Thai (third-generation Thai Chinese)

Biography and Background:

Born in Bangkok, Thailand, Minnie came from a wealthy and powerful family that is frequently referred to as belonging to Thailand's "High Society" or "Haissot." Her family's commercial endeavours and cultural significance are the main sources of their wealth. Her grandparents run a posh resort in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, which is well-known for its gorgeous settings, which include mountains and waterfalls. Her father is the president of the Bangkok YMCA and was formerly a top executive at Siam Commercial Bank. Her uncle, Nat Yontararak, is a well-known Thai classical pianist, and her mother is a talented pianist who also runs an upscale resort. The academic and social stature of the family was further demonstrated by the graduation of Mic and Mac, Minnie's older twin brothers, from the esteemed Chulalongkorn University. Minnie's aunt is also a direct descendant of Lanna's previous monarch, which gives her a royal tie and has led supporters to refer to her as a "Thai Princess."
Inspired by her mother's piano performances, Minnie, who grew up in a musically interested family, started playing the piano at the age of five and taking vocal lessons at the age of seven. She studied music at Grammy Vocal Studio in Bangkok, where she improved her piano and singing abilities, and she attended Wattana Wittaya Academy, Thailand's first ladies' boarding school. Her vocal instructor at G-Vocal Studio, the same school where CLC's Sorn attended, encouraged her to try out for Cube Entertainment in 2014 because she was passionate about singing. She overcame language and cultural obstacles during her three-year training term after passing the audition and moving to South Korea in 2015 at the age of 17 to train with Cube Entertainment.
Minnie's appeal has spread over the world due to her multicultural background as a third-generation Thai Chinese and her fluency in five languages: Thai, Korean, English, beginning Chinese, and Japanese. Her career in the cutthroat K-pop market was well-founded thanks to her early musical exposure and her family's encouragement.

Career:

Pre-Debut and (G)I-DLE Debut:
In March 2016, Minnie was introduced as a Cube Entertainment trainee through the agency's "Cube Tree" social media posts, marking the beginning of her journey to fame. She performed with future (G)I-DLE member Soyeon at the Unpretty Rapstar 3 concert in November 2016 and costarred with Yuqi and Shuhua in a Rising Star Cosmetics commercial video in 2017 to get her first taste of fame. In the same year, she provided vocals for six tracks on the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Line Friends’ Dance Party! - Children’s English Songs albums.
With the release of their first mini-album, I Am, and the title single, "Latata," Minnie made her debut as the lead vocalist of (G)I-DLE under Cube Entertainment on May 2, 2018. Miyeon, Soyeon, Yuqi, Shuhua, Minnie, and formerly Soojin made up the group, which immediately became well-known for its self-produced songs and varied international lineup. Minnie was praised for her distinct, calming voice and stage presence, especially for her Thai introduction in the 2019 Queendom performance of "Latata," which enthralled audiences in Thailand and South Korea.

Contributions to (G)I-DLE:
As a songwriter, composer, and producer, Minnie is a versatile musician who makes a substantial contribution to the music of (G)I-DLE. Songs like "I'm the Trend," "For You," "Blow Your Mind" from the To Neverland series, "I'm the Trend," and "Tung-Tung (Empty)" are among the ones she co-wrote and composed. She demonstrated her ability to whistle in the opening of the 2018 single "Hann (Alone)." Minnie and AOA's Hyejeong's vocal rendition of Dean's "Instagram" re-entered the music charts and became extremely popular on Mnet's Queendom in 2019.
With successes like "TOMBOY," "Nxde," and "Latata," (G)I-DLE has established itself as one of the top female groups in K-pop, and Minnie's vocal variety and creative input have been crucial to their success. In December 2024, the group reaffirmed their intention to remain a five-member group by renewing their contracts with Cube Entertainment.

Solo Career and Collaborations:

With her first mini-album, Her, which had seven tracks, including the lead single "HER" and the pre-release single "Blind Eyes Red" (issued January 7, 2025), Minnie made her solo debut on January 21, 2025. The album sold 83,999 copies on Hanteo and debuted at #3 on the Worldwide iTunes Album Chart and #5 on the European iTunes Album Chart. It featured collaborations with Yuqi of (G)I-DLE and Ten of WayV. Minnie earned her first solo Music Bank award on January 31, 2025, and her self-written and self-composed lead single, "HER," became the most-watched music video during its release period.
Beyond her solo career, Minnie has worked with artists such as Anne-Marie on "Expectations" (2023), Wengie on "Empire" (2019, which peaked at #22 on Billboard's World Digital Songs), and F. Hero and UrboyTJ on "Money Honey." In addition, she has worked with Miyeon on drama OSTs like as "Getaway" (My Dangerous Wife), "Saying Hello" (Link: Eat, Love, Kill), "In the Novel" (It Was All a Mistake), and "We Already Fell In Love" (Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol).

Acting and Other Ventures:

In the 2020 Netflix sitcom So Not Worth It, Minnie made her acting debut as a fictionalised version of herself, a Thai student in Seoul who enjoys K-dramas. The show was well-received for its humorous depiction of overseas students and included other K-pop idols, such as Youngjae from GOT7.
Minnie has supported well-known brands like MAC Cosmetics, 3CE, Gucci, Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, Adidas, Nespresso, and Mediheal as a highly sought-after CF (commercial film) model. She has appeared on the covers of several magazines, including L'Officiel, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and ELLE. She was chosen to be a model for Webtoon Thailand in 2022, and she promoted three stories that reached the top of the platform's sales charts and had over 50 million video views in a single week. She is a well-known figure in the industry thanks to her influence in beauty and fashion as well as her over 6 million Instagram followers.
Additionally, Minnie has made appearances on a number of television programs, such as Play Seoul, Music Universe K-909, and King of Mask Singer (2021), where she played "Cockle Shell." Panellists were impressed with her emotive rendition of Dean's "D (Half Moon)" on King of Mask Singer, which demonstrated the depth of her voice.

Philanthropy

Minnie is well-known for her philanthropy; one example of her dedication to humanitarian concerns is her donation of 20 million won, or roughly $15,000 USD, to help victims of the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake.

2025 Net Worth:

Minnie is the wealthiest member of (G)I-DLE, with an estimated net worth of $4 million to $5 million USD as of January 2025. Her main source of income is from the group activities of (G)I-DLE, which produce a net profit of about $1.4 million that is distributed among the members. Other sources of income include:
Music and Royalties: Revenue from creating, producing, and composing songs for (G)I-DLE, in addition to contributions to the original soundtrack.
Her solo endeavours include collaborations, her solo album Her, and promotional singles such as "PINK YOUR MOMENT" (2023).
Endorsements: Well-known brands have partnerships with Gucci, MAC, Miu Miu, and other companies.
Acting: Her part in So Not Worth It and possible roles in other films.
Instagram collaborations and sponsored posts are examples of social media influence.
Although Minnie comes from a privileged background due to her family's money, the majority of her net worth was achieved on her own through her varied profession. Her financial success has increased due to her talent and her reputation as a "golden spoon" idol.

Personal Life and Fun Facts:

Minnie retains a tight relationship with her (G)I-DLE members, notably Yuqi, with whom she shares a fondness for Super Junior, and is close to other Thai K-pop idols, including Lisa from Blackpink and Sorn from CLC. Shopping, watching Netflix (My Love From the Star is her favourite K-drama), and listening to Troye Sivan, SCRUBB, and STAMP are some of her pastimes. She hopes to work with Keshi and is a fan of Timothée Chalamet.
Minnie, who is well-known for her kind and passionate nature, has acknowledged that she is an overthinker and that in her early days in Korea, she found it difficult to accept trainees leaving. But because of her kindness and sense of humour, she has been known as the "meme queen" of (G)I-DLE. She loves jokbal (pig's feet), is thrifty with money, and aspires to live in Switzerland if not in South Korea or Thailand.