Wilhelmina Models facts for kids

Wilhelmina International Inc. is a well-known modeling and talent company. It helps models, entertainers, artists, musicians, and athletes manage their careers. The company started in 1967 in New York City, USA. It was founded by Wilhelmina Cooper. Wilhelmina also has offices in Los Angeles, Miami, and London. In 2009, it became the first and only modeling and talent agency whose shares could be bought and sold by the public.

How Wilhelmina Started

Wilhelmina International Inc. was founded in 1967. It was started by a Dutch-American model named Wilhelmina Cooper and her husband, Victor Bruce Cooper. Two other partners, Bill Weinberg and Fran Rothchild, also helped. By 1997, Wilhelmina was one of the oldest and largest full-service model management companies in the world.

Changes in Ownership

Wilhelmina Cooper passed away in 1980. After that, her business partners took over the agency. In 1989, a German businessman named Horst-Dieter Esch bought the company. He paid about 4 million dollars for it. The company officially became a corporation in Delaware in 1996.

Growing the Business

In 1998, Wilhelmina teamed up with Atlantic Records. They created an Artist Division. This division helped connect music artists with big international brands. In January 2015, the company opened an office in London. Another office opened in Chicago in 2016.

Also in 2016, Wilhelmina launched a new part of its business called Aperture. This agency helps models and actors find work in films, commercials, television, and theater. Aperture has offices in New York City and Los Angeles.

Becoming a Public Company

In February 2009, a company called New Century Equity Holdings Corp. bought Wilhelmina Models. Horst-Dieter Esch sold his part of the agency for 22 million dollars. New Century then changed its name to Wilhelmina International, Inc. This made Wilhelmina a publicly traded company. Its shares are traded under the symbol 'WHLM'. The company also lets other agencies around the world use its brand name. This includes agencies in the United States and Dubai.

Who Wilhelmina Represents

As of 2010, Wilhelmina works with and manages many talented people. This includes about 2,100 models, celebrities, artists, athletes, and content creators from all over the world. Some famous people they have represented include Nicki Minaj, Niall Horan, Normani, Iggy Azalea, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Machine Gun Kelly, 5 Seconds of Summer, Alexandra Waterbury, James B. Whiteside, Nadia Ferreira, Leona Lewis, Shawn Mendes, Dustin Lance Black, Francisco Lachowski, Barbie Ferreira, Robyn Lawley, Sora Choi, Aija Bārzdiņa, Rola Ghorab, Anne de Paula, and Billie Eilish.

Trading on NASDAQ

Wilhelmina's shares started trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market in September 2014. This is a major stock exchange.

Company Operations

At the end of 2019, Wilhelmina International Inc. had 114 employees. Seventy of these employees worked in New York City. The company's main office in Dallas had two employees. This Dallas office is shared with Newcastle Partners, which is the company's biggest shareholder.