December 10, 2025
‘South Korea is a cultural nexus of Asia, influencing global trends in beauty, content, food, entertainment and lifestyle, making it the ideal gateway for our partnership with Hanwha,” said Robbie Robinson, managing partner and chief executive of MarcyPen Capitol Partners
Brooklyn-bred billionaire Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter and his investment firm, MarcyPen Capital Partners, are investing in Korean culture through a targeted $500 million partnership with Hanwha Group.
According to The Financial Times, the two companies announced the collaboration during Abu Dhabi Finance Week. The popularity of K-pop drives the partnership, which will be overseen by MarcyPen Asia, based in Seoul, and Hanwha Asset Management, the financial division of the Hanwha Group.
“South Korea is a cultural nexus of Asia, influencing global trends in beauty, content, food, entertainment, and lifestyle, making it the ideal gateway for our partnership with Hanwha,” Robbie Robinson, managing partner and chief executive of MarcyPen, said in a written statement.
The two entities intend to raise money in the latter half of 2026 from institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, and wealthy individuals.
The continued popularity of Korean culture, including entertainment, beauty, food, and fashion, is often referred to as the “Korean wave.” It has generated more than $31 billion worldwide, according to Bernie Cho, president of DFSB Kollective, a Korean music export agency. “[It] is now the second-largest consumer goods export out of South Korea” after cars, Cho said.
“There is an opportunity for the global expansion of Korean companies,” said Jong-Ho James Kim, chief executive of Hanwha Asset Management. “Usually, Korean companies use their own capital or corporate funds, but if there is third-party assistance, then our growth potential will be greater.”
The Korea Herald reported that MarcyPen Capital Partners was founded last year after Marcy Venture Partners, co-founded by JAY-Z, merged with Pendulum Opportunities, the investment arm of Pendulum Holdings. The company, which is based in the United States, manages about $1 billion while focusing on strategic capital for early-stage consumer and innovative businesses that “create, move, and lead culture.”
The venture into the international realm is just the latest for the “Brooklyn’s Finest” lyricist. This past summer, it was reported that he and his wife, Beyoncé, closed on a 58-acre estate in the Cotswolds in England.
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