Mattel facts for kids
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Logo used since 2019
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Headquarters in El Segundo, California
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Formerly
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| Traded as |
NYSE: MAT (1963-2009) S&P 500 component (until 2019) |
| Industry | Toys and entertainment |
| Founded | January 1945, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters | El Segundo, California,
U.S.
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Products |
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| Revenue |  US$5.38 billion (2024) |
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Operating income
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 US$694 million (2024) |
| US$542 million (2024) |
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| Total assets | US$6.54 billion (2024) |
| Total equity | US$2.26 billion (2024) |
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Number of employees
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c. 33,000 (December 2023) |
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Mattel, Inc. is a huge American company that makes toys and entertainment. Its main office is in El Segundo, California. It was started in January 1945 by Harold Matson, Ruth Handler, and Elliot Handler. Mattel sells its products in over 150 countries around the world.
Mattel is the second-largest toy company by how much money it makes, right after the Lego Group. Two of its most famous brands are Barbie and Hot Wheels. Barbie was named the top global toy in 2020, and Hot Wheels was the best-selling toy in 2021.
Contents
History of Mattel
How Mattel Started
Harold "Matt" Matson, along with Ruth and Elliot Handler, started Mattel on January 20, 1945. They began in a garage in Los Angeles. The company's name, Mattel, comes from "Matt" (from Matson) and "Elliot" (from Elliot Handler).
At first, they sold picture frames. Then, they started making dollhouse furniture from the leftover wood. Harold Matson left the company the next year because he was not well. Ruth Handler then took over his part. In 1947, Mattel had its first successful toy, a small guitar called "Uke-A-Doodle."
Mattel became an official company in Hawthorne, California, in 1948. In 1950, the Magic 8 Ball was invented, which Mattel now owns. Mattel was one of the first companies to advertise on TV. They sponsored the Mickey Mouse Club TV show. In 1957, they released the Fisher-Price Corn Popper and the Xylophone. Mattel later bought Fisher-Price in 1993.
The famous Barbie doll first appeared on March 9, 1959. She became the company's best-selling toy ever. In 1960, Mattel introduced Chatty Cathy, a doll that could talk when you pulled a string. This toy changed the toy industry, and many other talking toys followed. In 1961, the Ken doll was introduced. Mattel became a public company in 1960.
The Barbie Dreamhouse was first made in 1962. That same year, Astronaut Barbie was released, showing Barbie in space. In 1965, Mattel created the See 'n Say talking toy. Barbie even went to the Moon four years before real astronauts! In 1967, Mattel released a toy astronaut for boys called Major Matt Mason.
On May 18, 1968, Hot Wheels cars were released. A team of inventors, including a rocket scientist, created them. That year, Christie, Barbie's first Black friend, was also introduced. In 1969, Mattel changed its name to just Mattel and launched its "red sun" logo. In 1970, Hot Wheels sponsored famous drag racers, and their cars were made into Hot Wheels toys.
In May 1970, Mattel started a movie company called "Radnitz/Mattel Productions." This was the beginning of Mattel's move into entertainment. The card game Uno was invented in 1971 and Mattel bought it in 1996.
In 1971, Mattel bought The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. However, they sold the circus by 1973. In 1974, the founders, Elliot and Ruth Handler, left the company.
After the Founders
Arthur S. Spear took over Mattel in 1975 and helped the company become successful again. In 1978, the Mattel Children's Foundation was started. Ruth Handler sold her remaining shares in 1980.
Mattel started its Electronics line in 1977 with handheld games. This led to game consoles, but it also caused Mattel to lose a lot of money. In 1979, Mattel bought Holiday on Ice and Ice Follies. They also bought Western Publishing.
In 1980, Mattel introduced the first diverse Barbie dolls. These included a Hispanic doll and the first African-American Barbie. Later, Barbie dolls from over 40 countries were created. In 1982, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe action figures were released. These toys inspired a cartoon show and a movie.
In 1985, Barbie launched the "We Girls Can Do Anything" TV campaign. They also released the CEO / Day-to-Night Barbie to celebrate women in leadership. In 1986, Barbie was even painted by the famous artist Andy Warhol.
In the late 1980s, John W. Amerman became the new chairman of Mattel. He helped the company by focusing on popular brands like Barbie. Barbie doll sales grew from $430 million to almost $1 billion between 1987 and 1992.
Mattel also partnered with The Walt Disney Company in 1988. They got the rights to make toys based on Disney characters. In 1991, Mattel moved its main office to El Segundo, California.
New Brands and Growth: 1992–2009
In 1992, Mattel created the first President Barbie. Barbie has run for President seven times since then!
In 1992, Mattel opened its first factory in Indonesia. This factory now makes Hot Wheels car packs. Another factory opened in 1997, which now makes Barbie dolls.
Mattel bought International Games in 1992, which made UNO and Skip-Bo. They also bought Fisher-Price, Inc. in 1993 and Tyco Toys, Inc. (which owned Matchbox) in 1997. In 1998, Mattel acquired Pleasant Company (creators of American Girl) and Bluebird Toys (which made Polly Pocket). The first American Girl store opened in Chicago that same year.
In 1997, the Fisher-Price Little People toys were updated to look more like real kids. Mattel also bought View-Master that year. Hot Wheels partnered with NASCAR drivers, leading to the first NASCAR-themed Hot Wheels cars.
In 1998, Mattel gave $25 million to help rebuild UCLA's children's hospital. It was later renamed the UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital. Barbie was added to the National Toy Hall of Fame that year. The first Thomas & Friends theme park, Thomas Land, opened in Japan.
Mattel bought The Learning Company in 1999 but sold it a year later. In 2000, Mattel got the rights to make Disney Princess dolls.
In 2000, Mattel also signed a deal with Warner Bros. to make toys for Harry Potter and later for Superman, Batman, and other Justice League characters.
In 2001, the first life-sized Hot Wheels car, the Twin Mill, was created. More than twenty life-sized cars have been made since then. American Girl started its "Girl of the Year" campaign in 2001. These dolls have modern stories and are only available for one year.
In 2002, Mattel closed its last factory in the United States. Production moved to China. In 2007, Mattel recalled millions of toys because some had too much lead paint or magnets that could be dangerous. Mattel worked to fix these safety issues and paid a fine in 2009. They improved their safety policies.
In 2009, Mattel's stock started trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
New Brands and Partnerships: 2010–Present
In 2009, Mattel signed a deal with WWE to make action figures and wrestling toys. This partnership has continued for many years.
On June 11, 2010, Mattel launched Monster High, a line of fashion dolls based on the teenage children of famous monsters. This led to other popular doll lines like Ever After High in 2013 and Enchantimals in 2017. In 2011, Hot Wheels set a new world record for a car jump.
In 2009, Mattel's Fisher-Price division became the main toy maker for the Thomas & Friends franchise. Mattel then bought HIT Entertainment (which owned Thomas & Friends) in 2012. In 2012, Mattel introduced Ella, a bald Barbie doll, to be given to children with hair loss due to cancer. In 2013, Mattel started its own film studio, Mattel Playground Productions, to make movies and TV shows.
Fortune Magazine named Mattel one of the best companies to work for in 2013.
On February 28, 2014, Mattel bought Mega Brands, which makes building toys. In 2015, Mattel partnered with Quirky to create new products.
Barbie sales dropped in 2012, and Mattel lost the license for Disney Princess dolls to Hasbro in 2016. However, Mattel got the Disney Princess license back in January 2022. The newest collection of these dolls was available in January 2023.
In January 2015, Christopher Sinclair became the new CEO. In February, Mattel announced an updated View-Master that offered a virtual reality experience.
On January 21, 2016, Mattel bought Fuhu, a company that made Nabi tablets. On March 30, 2016, Mattel created a new division called Mattel Creations to manage all its content. This included Mattel Playground Productions and HIT Entertainment. On July 19, 2016, Mattel got the license to make toys based on the Jurassic Park movies.
In 2017, former Google executive Margo Georgiadis became Mattel's CEO. In November 2017, Hasbro tried to buy Mattel, but Mattel said no.
In January 2018, Mattel and Chinese company NetEase started a joint company called Mattel163. They create mobile games based on Mattel's brands. That same year, American Girl launched "Create Your Own," allowing kids to design their own dolls.
On April 19, 2018, Ynon Kreiz became Mattel's new CEO. Two months later, Mattel laid off 2,200 employees, partly because Toys "R" Us closed in the U.S. Kreiz began to reorganize Mattel.
On August 30, 2018, Mattel created a global franchise management division. This group looks for new business opportunities and brings together consumer products, content, digital games, and live events. Hot Wheels celebrated its 50th anniversary that year by selling a set of the original 16 cars. In September 2018, Thomas & Friends partnered with the United Nations to teach kids about important goals like quality education and gender equality.
On December 24, 2018, Mattel announced it would lose the DC Comics toy license to Spin Master in 2020.
Mattel reorganized Mattel Creations and renamed it Mattel Television on February 5, 2019.
On March 9, 2019, Mattel celebrated Barbie's 60th anniversary. They released 20 new "role model" dolls to honor inspiring women. Mattel also donated money to its Dream Gap Project Fund, which helps girls believe in themselves.
On June 14, 2019, Mattel released new Hot Wheels ID cars with special chips. Kids can scan these cars into an app to build tracks and race digitally. On August 19, 2019, Mattel announced a new He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series and toy lines.
In October 2019, Mattel released Hot Wheels Monster Trucks and started a live show tour. The company also released a line of gender-neutral dolls called "Creatable World." The Mattel Children's Foundation held its second "Global Day of Play," encouraging play for children worldwide.
In April 2020, Mattel released a Thomas & Friends special called "The Royal Engine" for the franchise's 75th anniversary. It featured animated versions of Queen Elizabeth and a young Prince Charles. Mattel also created "Mattel Playroom," an online resource with free games and activities for families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In May 2020, Mattel partnered with Warner Music Group's Arts Music division to distribute Mattel's music. Mattel also launched "Play it Forward," an initiative to give back. The first program, #ThankYouHeroes, created action figures of essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. On October 15, 2020, Mattel celebrated Fisher-Price's 90th anniversary with a virtual Toy Museum. Mattel Creations also launched as an online store for special, limited-edition items.
On October 12, 2020, Mattel announced a new animated Thomas and Friends: All Engines Go! series, which started on September 13, 2021.
In November 2021, Mattel launched a marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for Barbie and Hot Wheels.
On April 5, 2022, Steven Totzke was named co-president of Mattel. On May 25, 2022, Mattel launched the first-ever transgender Barbie doll, modeled after Laverne Cox.
In 2022, Miniso Group Holding Ltd partnered with Mattel to create Barbie-themed products. These products were launched in July 2023 to celebrate the Barbie movie.
In 2024, Mattel expanded its Barbie line to include dolls representing people with Down syndrome and vision impairments. This helps children see themselves in their toys. Miniso also bought some shares in Mattel in April 2024.
In November 2024, Mattel apologized for an error with some Wicked themed dolls. The packaging accidentally linked to an incorrect website. Mattel asked parents to destroy the packaging with the wrong link. Earlier that year, a song from the Wicked movie was leaked through Mattel's singing dolls.
On June 2, 2025, Mattel combined its movie and TV divisions into a new group called Mattel Studios. This new division will handle all film and television projects. Robbie Brenner was promoted to lead this new division.
On July 8, 2025, Mattel launched the first Barbie doll with type-1 diabetes. They also introduced new dolls of fitness instructor Robin Arzon and model Lila Moss. In 2025, Mattel worked with the Italian fashion brand GCDS on a special Polly Pocket collection.
Media and Entertainment
Mattel has always been involved in media, from advertising its toys like Barbie and Monster High. Their full journey into entertainment began in May 1970. They teamed up with producer Robert B. Radnitz to form "Radnitz/Mattel Productions." The Masters of the Universe and He-Man had a cartoon series from 1983 to 1985, followed by a live-action movie in 1987.
My Scene, a Barbie brand, launched in 2002 and quickly made animated movies. Polly Pocket, a toy line Mattel acquired in 1998, also started making movies.
Mattel's Barbie brand was adapted into many successful animated movies. These movies were first released directly to video and later moved to Universal Pictures. Monster High also started making movies after its launch in 2010. Many "American Girl" films were also created.
Mattel bought HIT Entertainment in 2012, which owned brands like Thomas & Friends. This became part of Mattel's Fisher-Price division.
On October 16, 2013, Mattel launched its own film studio, Mattel Playground Productions. This studio was created to make movies, TV shows, and web series based on Mattel's brands.
Mattel formed a division called Mattel Creations in 2016 to bring all its content production together. Mattel Playground Productions was later revived as Mattel Films in 2018. The 2023 movie Barbie was the first film released by Mattel Films. Mattel Creations was renamed Mattel Television in 2019.
Mattel announced that the Mattel Adventure Park is being built in Glendale, Arizona, and is expected to open in 2024. This park will feature popular Mattel brands like Barbie, Hot Wheels, Thomas & Friends, and Uno, with roller coasters and other attractions.
In September 2023, Mattel announced a new game called Pictionary Vs. AI. In this game, an AI model guesses what players have drawn on their smartphones.
Mattel Digital Gaming
Mattel has also grown in the world of digital games, including video games, mobile games, and digital collectibles.
In 2017, Mattel and Osmo launched MindRacer, a Hot Wheels racing game for the iPad.
The first game released was UNO!, which started on Facebook and is now available on iOS and Android phones.
Other mobile and video games include:
- Phase 10: World Tour (2019)
- Hot Wheels Infinite Loop (2019)
- Hot Wheels Open World (2020)
- Skip-Bo (2021)
- Hot Wheels Unleashed (2021)
- He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: You have the Power (2022)
Hot Wheels Games
In September 2021, Mattel and Milestone released Hot Wheels Unleashed for many gaming platforms. This racing game lets players race customizable Hot Wheels cars in everyday places like kitchens. Players could even submit their car designs, and the winning design was made into a real Hot Wheels toy.
In June 2022, Hot Wheels partnered with the Forza Horizon 5 video game to add a Hot Wheels expansion pack.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Games
In April 2022, Mattel launched a new game on Roblox inspired by He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. This game lets players battle each other. In December 2022, Mattel made Masters of the Universe characters available in Rec Room, a virtual reality game. These characters also joined Fall Guys, a battle royale game, for a limited time in November 2022.
Minecraft Games
In January 2023, Mattel, Mojang Studios, and Cyclone Designs released the Minecraft Creator Series Camp Enderwood map. This free download lets players enjoy a summer camp experience in Minecraft.
Barbie and Polly Pocket Games
In September 2022, Mattel's Barbie and Polly Pocket characters became available in Roblox's Livetopia, a role-playing game. Players could also explore Barbie's Dreamhouse to celebrate the toy's 60th anniversary. A new Barbie-themed game called Barbie DreamHouse Tycoon is also coming to Roblox.
See also
In Spanish: Mattel para niños
- Bandai
- Barbie
- Fisher-Price
- Hasbro
- Hot Wheels
- List of Mattel toys
- List of game manufacturers
- MGA Entertainment
- Spin Master
- The Lego Group
- Tomy
