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Mad Unicorn is a Thai Netflix series that chronicles the rise of Santi Saelee, an entrepreneur who transforms from a humble sand miner to the founder of Thailand's first unicorn startup, Thunder Express. Inspired by true events, the show paints a fast-paced, emotionally charged picture of the delivery service startup world.
At the heart of Mad Unicorn lies the question: Does Thunder Express, Santi's brainchild, overcome the odds to emerge victorious against its rival, Easy Express? The answer comes in the finale, when Thunder Express wins a partnership deal with Thailand’s largest online retailer, Mally, despite facing internal sabotage, resource shortages, and personal sacrifices.
But the ending is far from smooth sailing. With last-minute betrayals, a sabotaged conveyor belt, and emergency air freight decisions, the final challenge tests every ounce of grit from Santi and his team. Their journey is also interwoven with emotional threads, particularly the bittersweet fate of Xiaoyu, a financier who plays a pivotal role in Thunder’s survival but walks away from Santi.
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Thunder Express's ascendancy: A tale of resilience and strategy
In the climactic arc of Mad Unicorn, Thunder Express is on the brink of collapse. Santi’s decision to lower delivery prices in a bid to outdo Easy Express backfires, causing major staff exits and investor panic. As the business wavers, hope comes in the form of Mally’s 11:11 delivery challenge, an event where only one company can win an exclusive year-long contract.
With Xiaoyu's strategic thinking as a financier and Ruijie’s technical skills as a coder, the team revamps their operation. But just when their momentum builds, several problems arise—trucks are canceled, and a conveyor belt malfunctions. Moreover, insider leaks derail progress. Refusing to fold, Santi mobilizes hundreds of temporary helpers by offering 1,000 baht each and pledges to sell his car to pay them.
It’s Xiaoyu who saves the day again by arranging for five truckloads to be flown to meet the deadline. In a final twist, Santi tricks Kanin by faking the real flight number, ensuring the packages go through. Thunder Express is ultimately declared Mally’s official partner.
The unveiling of betrayal: Moles within thunder express
Initially trusting his core team, Santi eventually uncovers not one, but two moles. The first is Linux, whose desperation to pay for her mother's hospital bills makes her vulnerable to manipulation by Ken, Easy Express’s CEO. Caught by Ruijie while tampering with equipment, Linux confesses, but it’s too late as the damage is done.
The shock intensifies when Niphon, another team member, is revealed to be leaking confidential strategies to Easy Express. His betrayal is driven by ambition and a belief that aligning with the bigger fish would secure his future. Though both are removed, their actions leave Thunder scrambling in the final hours. Still, their exposure ultimately tightens the bond among the remaining loyalists, adding depth to the emotional journey that Mad Unicorn offers.
Santi and Xiaoyu: A relationship defined by sacrifice and loyalty
The professional relationship between Santi and Xiaoyu is the backbone of Mad Unicorn. From the start, Xiaoyu believes in Santi’s vision and invests her money and career in Thunder Express to pay off her father’s debt. Her calculated decisions and moral compass often pull Santi back when he’s blinded by vengeance.
In the finale of Mad Unicorn, Xiaoyu sells her shares to Alice Wang to keep the company afloat and funds emergency solutions during the Mally challenge. After Thunder becomes a unicorn, Santi repays her, allowing her to reclaim her family home. But on the personal front, their paths diverge. Xiaoyu marries her fiancé, Liam, and starts a family. Santi, though heartbroken, respects her choice.
In one of the final scenes, he sees her through a window, happy, fulfilled, and unreachable. Mad Unicorn subtly explores the pain of unfulfilled love through their story.
Ken and Kanin: Downfall of the rivals
Ken, once positioned as Easy Express’s frontman and Kanin’s heir, ends up defeated and disillusioned. His constant failures and unethical tactics, despite being backed by enormous capital, cost him everything. When Mally picks Thunder, Easy Express collapses and is sold to FINIX. The loss breaks Ken emotionally, leading him to resign from all positions.
The father-son dynamic between Kanin and Ken mirrors Santi’s struggle. But unlike Santi, Ken had privilege without purpose. Kanin, too, takes a step back, offering Santi a symbolic painting, the one that never dries, as a gesture of acknowledgment and surrender. This pivotal moment, like many in Mad Unicorn, speaks to humility and growth.
Mad Unicorn ending: Thunder Express achieves unicorn status
Following the Mally deal, Thunder Express receives a 30 billion baht investment and becomes Thailand’s first unicorn startup. The show fast-forwards to 2021, marking six years since Santi started his venture. Thunder expands across Southeast Asia, revolutionizing regional logistics and solidifying its place in history.
Mad Unicorn intertwines themes of ambition, betrayal, sacrifice, and unfulfilled love. From being unable to afford cup noodles to becoming a national symbol of innovation, Santi’s arc epitomizes the spirit of modern entrepreneurship.
His evolution from sand miner to unicorn CEO is paved with sacrifices, especially from Xiaoyu, who gives her all without expecting a return. Their bond, while never romanticized fully, carries the weight of mutual respect and struggle.
Thunder Express’s victory over Easy Express symbolizes more than a business win, it’s a triumph of ethics, resilience, and vision.
