The Tussauds Group
Curtius put these models on display to the public in Berne, Switzerland where they caught the attention of the French royal family.
After travelling with her models, Tussauds bought her first property in London's Baker Street in 1835, for the purpose of displaying her wax figures.
The company made its first acquisition with Wookey Hole Caves and Mill in Somerset and in 1976 bought Tolgus tin plant in Cornwall.
After Tussauds took over Alton Towers, it was redeveloped into a theme park that intended to challenge the opening of Disneyland Paris.
During the mid-nineties, the group continued to expand its theme parks with new attractions at both Warwick Castle and Alton Towers.
[3] The Tussauds group moved into the European market in 1995, with a 40% stake in a new £300 million theme park, Port Aventura in Spain.
The Las Vegas site eventually opened in 1999 to large success, which led the company to look for another exhibition location in the United States.
[3] Tussauds continued to look for acquisitions in Europe and in 2002 opted to buy Heide Park in Soltau, Germany.
In the same year, the company shut down the Rock Circus exhibition in the London Pavilion because of falling visitor figures.
Tussauds and Charterhouse Development Capital then looked to increase its stake in the London Eye, hoping to buy out British Airways.
[3] In 2004, one of the shareholders of the London Eye, Marks Barfield, accused the Tussauds group of purposefully opposing a refinancing offer in order to gain full control of the wheel.
The attraction made a trading profit, but the company had 25% interest payments on a debt that arose from a £56 million loan from British Airways in 1999.
Marks went on to comment that without a refinancing deal the London Eye would not have long-term financial security in the future as it would not be able to develop as an attraction.
The Tussauds group denied blocking any deals, in turn suggesting that no alternative methods had been put forward.
[7] In 2005, the Tussauds group was sold to Dubai International Capital, a branch of the government that deals with investment, for £800 million ($1.5 billion).
About the merger, the chief executive of Merlin Entertainment, Nick Varney, said that the combination of the two groups, as well as their audiences, would place the new company in the global market.
[11] On 17 July 2007, Madame Tussauds was sold to private investor Nick Leslau and his investment firm Prestbury under a sale and leaseback agreement.
