Guinness World Records in new hands
Guinness World Records was in new hands today after being sold to the company behind 'Ripley’s Believe It or Not' museums.
Canadian conglomerate Jim Pattison Group has bought the world famous brand for a reported £60 million from UK owner HIT Entertainment.
The annual Guinness World Records book features hundreds of record breakers such as the world’s tallest man and the owner of the longest fingernails. It was first published in 1955 and has gone on to sell more than 100 million copies in 37 languages.
Privately-owned Jim Pattison Group operates a site in Blackpool which exhibits a two-headed calf and a model of the world’s tallest man, 8ft 11in Robert Wadlow. A new Ripley museum is also set to open in London later this year.
Ripley also operates six Guinness World Records attractions around the world, including Tokyo, Texas and Copenhagen, Denmark. It said there was “substantial demand” around the world for new attractions.
Private equity-owned HIT Entertainment, which owns a host of children’s brands including Pingu the penguin and Fireman Sam, bought Guinness World Records in 2002.
The Jim Pattison Group was reportedly one of four parties interested in buying the decades-old world records business, which is based in London.
Jim Pattison Jr, president of Ripley Entertainment, said: “Guinness World Records is an iconic brand, and we are delighted to have been given the opportunity by HIT Entertainment to add this global leader in world records to our Group.
“No other enterprise collects, confirms, accredits and presents world record data with the same investment in comprehensiveness and authenticity.”
