Investment troubles are being resolved…but TKO’s Takehiro Kimoto is not so sure! I work part-time to eat.

I have to support my family and eat, so I’m working part-time now.

Takehiro Kimoto, 51, of “TKO,” answered FRIDAY’s direct question. However, his expression was surprisingly cheerful.

Kimoto’s investment troubles, which came to light in July, involved more than a dozen acquaintances and celebrities and caused damage totaling more than 600 million yen. When this magazine contacted him in August, he told us that he was negotiating with the two people who cheated him out of their money, but since then we have heard nothing but bad news.

It was reported that Mr. A, the real estate investor, had disappeared and that the money might be irrecoverable. In addition, the president of the entertainment agency who had been having financial trouble with Mr. A was found dead by Lake Kawaguchi in November, and people began to worry about Kimoto’s safety.

We asked Kimoto about the current status of negotiations for repayment.

He replied, “No, the deceased was a person we did not know at all and had nothing to do with our group. Besides, the situation is moving forward, and we are in close contact with the assailants. Repayment has already begun from one of the two perpetrators, and the other has given us a clear repayment plan.”

He is currently preparing for his return to show business.

I’m getting a lot of encouragement from a lot of fans and people in the industry who want me to get back to work as soon as possible. I am really grateful.

The day when we can see his face on TV is near!

From the January 6 and 13, 2023 issue of FRIDAY