Miss America is one of the most iconic competitions in American history — a pageant that has been crowning women since 1921 and has launched careers, sparked conversations about feminism, and served as one of the country’s most recognizable cultural events for over a century. But right now, in 2026, the question of who actually owns Miss America is at the center of one of the most dramatic legal battles the pageant world has ever seen — involving fabricated court documents, a $500 million lawsuit, and a federal judge’s devastating ruling.
What Is Miss America?
Miss America is an annual competition open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Founded in 1921 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, it is one of the oldest beauty and scholarship pageants in the world and one of the largest providers of scholarship assistance to young women in the United States. The current Miss America is Cassie Donegan of New York, who was crowned in September 2025 in Orlando, Florida. The organization is currently headquartered in Wellington, Florida.
Who Owns Miss America in 2026?
The current owner and CEO of Miss America is Robin Ross-Fleming, who operates the pageant through two Florida LLCs — Miss America Competition, LLC and Miss America IP, LLC — both formed on December 28, 2022. According to court records, Fleming was listed as the registered agent, authorized representative, and manager for both entities from the day they were created.
Fleming bought the Miss America enterprise in December 2022 after the entire board of the previous organization voted unanimously to transfer its assets to her. The entire board voted unanimously to transfer the assets to Robin Fleming, as they sought to continue the legacy of the Miss America mission, which includes educating and empowering women and supporting organizations that promote women in all walks of life.
Ownership and Key Stakeholders Table
| Party | Role | Status | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robin Ross-Fleming | Owner, Manager & CEO | Current legal owner as of December 2022 | Manages Miss America Competition, LLC and Miss America IP, LLC |
| Miss America Competition, LLC | Operating Entity | Active | One of two Florida LLCs that together own the Miss America brand |
| Miss America IP, LLC | IP Holding Entity | Active | Holds Miss America intellectual property and brand rights |
| Glenn Straub | Disputed Claimant | Claims dismissed by federal judge March 2026 | Real estate developer; provided financial backing but was never listed as owner |
| Federal Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks | US District Judge | Ruled against Straub — March 9, 2026 | Found Straub and his attorney used fabricated corporate documents across four courts |
| Miss America Organization (original) | Former Owner | Dissolved/transferred 2022 | Former nonprofit; transferred assets to Fleming in late 2022 |
| ABC / various broadcasters | Broadcast Partners | No ownership | Historically aired the competition; broadcast arrangements vary by year |
The Origin Story: From Atlantic City Boardwalk to National Icon
Miss America was born on a New Jersey boardwalk in 1921 — and it was not exactly what we would recognize today.
The first Miss America pageant was held on September 7, 1921, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, as a promotional event organized by local businessmen who wanted to keep tourists in the city after the Labor Day holiday weekend. Sixteen-year-old Margaret Gorman of Washington D.C. was crowned the winner. The event was not originally called “Miss America” — it was called “The Fall Frolic” in its first unofficial edition in 1920, before evolving into a formal competition.
Over the following decades, Miss America grew into a genuine national institution. By the 1960s, the Miss America broadcast was one of the most-watched television events of the year. It was the platform where Bert Parks sang the famous song, where Phyllis George launched her broadcasting career, and where generations of American women competed for scholarships that genuinely changed their lives. The pageant also became a site of protest — notably in 1968, when feminists demonstrated outside the Atlantic City venue, throwing high heels and bras into a trash can in one of the most iconic moments of the women’s liberation movement.
How the Modern Miss America Was Born: The 2022 Transfer
The Miss America that exists today is a very different legal entity from the one that ran the pageant for most of the 20th century.
The previous Miss America Organization — a nonprofit that had governed the pageant for decades — ran into severe financial and governance difficulties in the late 2010s. The organization filed for bankruptcy protection and faced a leadership crisis following a 2018 scandal in which internal emails mocking former titleholders were leaked. By 2022, the organization’s board made a decisive move — voting unanimously to transfer the assets of Miss America to Robin Fleming, who had been deeply involved with the pageant and its operations, to preserve the brand’s future. Fleming then created two new Florida LLCs — Miss America Competition, LLC and Miss America IP, LLC — to serve as the legal home of the relaunched Miss America organization.
The Glenn Straub Controversy: Fabricated Documents and a Federal Ruling
Just when it seemed like Miss America had found stable new footing under Robin Fleming, a stunning legal dispute erupted that sent the organization through another chaotic chapter.
Glenn Straub — a 78-year-old real estate developer from Wellington, Florida, best known for buying the shuttered Revel Casino in Atlantic City — had provided financial backing to Fleming in the form of a loan. By March 2024, Straub suddenly claimed that he, not Fleming, was the true owner of Miss America. He then filed lawsuits asserting ownership over both Florida LLCs. Straub claimed he had terminated Fleming as CEO in April 2024 and alleged she had paid herself over $200,000 without authorization and locked the organization out of financial accounts.
Fleming fired back fiercely. She filed a $500 million federal lawsuit against Straub in December 2024, calling his claims a racketeering scheme and accusing him of trying to steal a brand she had legitimately purchased. She called his involvement nothing more than that of a banker who provided a line of credit.
The turning point came on March 9, 2026. U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks of the Southern District of Florida ruled that Glenn Straub and his attorney Craig T. Galle had created fraudulent operating agreements and meeting minutes in an attempt to claim ownership of Miss America. The judge found that Straub and Galle used the fabricated corporate documents in up to four different courts as part of their dispute with Fleming. The fabrications are willful and egregious, constitute fraud upon the court, and no alternative to dismissal of the counterclaim with prejudice would be sufficient, the judge wrote. Straub’s counterclaim was dismissed with prejudice, and he was ordered to pay Fleming’s attorney’s fees — for which Fleming’s legal team filed a petition seeking nearly $4.9 million.
As of April 2026, Robin Fleming remains the undisputed legal owner and CEO of Miss America, with Straub’s claims completely dismissed by the federal court.
Miss America Today: Scholarships, Expansion and the 2026 Pageant
Despite the legal turbulence, Miss America has continued to operate and evolve under Robin Fleming’s leadership.
The Miss America 2026 competition was held in September 2025 in Orlando, Florida, where Cassie Donegan of New York was crowned.
The current Miss America 2026 titleholder is Cassie Donegan of New York, who was crowned on September 7, 2025, in Orlando, Florida. The Miss America 2027 competition is expected to take place in September 2026 and a new titleholder has not yet been crowned as of this writing.
Robin Fleming also announced that non-finalists at the Miss America 2026 pageant would receive a $3,000 scholarship — a signal of her commitment to the organization’s core identity as one of the nation’s largest providers of scholarship assistance to young women. The organization also runs Miss America’s Teen — a companion competition for young women aged 13 to 28 — with the current titleholder being Elle Anderson of Utah, crowned on September 5, 2026.
Miss America vs. Miss USA: What Is the Difference?
Many people confuse Miss America with Miss USA — but they are completely separate organizations with entirely different owners.
Miss America is owned by Robin Fleming through her Florida LLCs and is focused heavily on scholarships and community service. Miss USA, on the other hand, is owned by the Miss Universe Organization — jointly owned by Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip of Thailand and Raul Rocha of Mexico — and focuses on selecting the U.S. representative for the Miss Universe pageant. Miss America does not feed into Miss Universe. They are entirely separate brands, with separate competitions, separate owners, and separate missions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns Miss America in 2026?
Robin Ross-Fleming is the legal owner and CEO of Miss America, operating through Miss America Competition, LLC and Miss America IP, LLC — both formed on December 28, 2022.
Q2. How did Robin Fleming acquire Miss America?
The entire board of the previous Miss America Organization voted unanimously in late 2022 to transfer all assets to Robin Fleming to preserve the pageant’s legacy.
Q3. What happened with Glenn Straub and Miss America?
U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks ruled on March 9, 2026 that Glenn Straub and his attorney used fabricated corporate documents across four courts in a bid to seize ownership from Fleming, dismissing his counterclaim with prejudice.
Q4. Who is the current Miss America in 2026?
Cassie Donegan of New York holds the title of Miss America 2026, having been crowned in September 2025 in Orlando, Florida.
Q5. When was Miss America founded?
The first Miss America pageant was held on September 7, 1921, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with 16-year-old Margaret Gorman of Washington D.C. winning the inaugural title.
Q6. Is Miss America the same as Miss USA?
No. Miss America is owned by Robin Fleming and focuses on scholarships. Miss USA is owned by the Miss Universe Organization and selects the U.S. entrant for Miss Universe — they are entirely separate organizations.
Q7. Where is Miss America headquartered in 2026?
The Miss America organization is currently headquartered in Wellington, Florida, under the leadership of CEO Robin Ross-Fleming.
Q8. How much is Robin Fleming suing Glenn Straub for?
Fleming filed a $500 million federal lawsuit against Straub in December 2024, and her legal team has also filed a separate petition seeking nearly $4.9 million in attorney’s fees following the March 2026 court ruling in her favor.
Miss America is owned by Robin Ross-Fleming through two Florida LLCs — Miss America Competition, LLC and Miss America IP, LLC — created on December 28, 2022, when the previous Miss America Organization board unanimously voted to transfer all assets to her.
A dramatic attempt by real estate developer Glenn Straub to seize ownership through fabricated corporate documents was decisively rejected by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks in a landmark March 9, 2026 ruling. Straub’s claims were dismissed with prejudice, he was sanctioned for fraud on the court, and Fleming is pursuing nearly $4.9 million in attorney’s fees.
Miss America has been running since 1921 — over 100 years of crowning women, awarding scholarships, and reflecting the changing values of American society. Under Fleming, it continues that mission with a renewed focus on education, empowerment, and accessibility.
