Lonely Planet has been purchased by BBC Worldwide.
BBC apparently is looking to increase their visibility and “expand operations” in America and Australia, so purchasing Lonely Planet - based in Australia and wildly popular in the United States - fits right into that plan. The Wheelers and John Singleton, who collectively owned the company, will retain a 25% share of the new entity.
The deal was first reported to be for an “undisclosed sum,” but the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is now saying the sale price was $250 million.
http://www.bootblog.org/07-10/bbc-buys-lonely-planet.html
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WOCCA WRITES:
” … The Wheelers and John Singleton, who collectively owned the company, will retain a 25% share of the new entity…”
Well done, guys !!!
Tony Wheeler was born in Great Britain in 1946. His wife, Maureen was born in Northern Ireland.
Lonely Planet Publications was born in 1973 after the Wheelers joined the Asian ‘hippie trail’ of the early ’70s … and ended up penniless in Australia.
The ABC would have been referring to Australian currency when stating the figure of $250 million. Still, not a bad little retirement sum in anybody’s language.
By the way, Australian businessman/entrepreneur John Singleton was born in Sydney’s inner west in 1941. His first job, was a mail boy for the J Walter Thompson agency at the age of 17.
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Unrelated note
In an entirely unrelated note, the lonely planet website will not officially be blocked in china forever.
-Robbie
LP CHENGDU
According to the Chengdu Daily ...
Australian Publishing Company to Promote Chengdu Globally
Lonely Planet, a famous Australian publishing company, has inked a cooperation agreement that it will issue a travel guide of Chengdu by the end of this year. As one of the most influential publishing companies in the world, it is the first time that Lonely Planet, which is reputed for its privileged series of travel guide books, publishes a guide book focusing on only one city since it was established 30 years ago. The guide books published by the company are praised by self-help tourists as the “Bible for Self-help Travel”.
The authors of Lonely Planet will come to Chengdu to have one-month survey. The Chengdu travel guide book of Lonely Planet will be published by the end of this year, offering tourists around the world a 60-page guide book with abundant pictures. Local famous scenic spots including the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Jinsha Site Museum, Dujiangya Irrigation System and the Temple of Marquis Wu will be recommended in the book. Besides, the introduction to local food, accommodation, bus routes and shops will be included in the book.
The circulation of the first batch of Chengdu travel guide books will hit 5 volumes, which will be published in English. The editions in other languages will be issued later.
SOURCE LINK :
http://www.newssc.org/gb/Newssc/meiti/cdrb/chengduweekly/userobject10ai1...
interesting
This is intersting. Wondering what they would do with http://www.linkexpats.com (expats in the world)
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