A subsidiary of Canada’s Jim Pattison Group, which owns the Ripley’s Believe It or Not franchise, has acquired Guinness World Records from HIT Entertainment for an undisclosed price.
First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records book has developed into an international phenomenon published in more than 100 countries and 37 languages. The publication itself is listed as the world’s best-selling copyrighted book.
Based in Vancouver, the highly diversified Jim Pattison Group is Canada’s third-largest private company with sales of over $6.3 billion and over 29,000 employees. Its holdings include Ripley Entertainment Inc., which has held the global rights to develop and operate Guinness World Records museums and attractions for over a decade.
There are six Guinness World Record attractions around the world: Tokyo, Niagara Falls, Ont., Hollywood, San Antonio, Tex., Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Copenhagen.
“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,” said Jim Pattison Jr., president of Ripley Entertainment.
“No other enterprise collects, confirms, accredits and presents world record data with the same investment in comprehensiveness and authenticity. The coming together of Guinness World Records and Ripley’s Believe It or Not creates an historic combination of the world-leading authorities on records and record-breaking.”
