Private company

Penguin Random House

Logo: Penguin Random House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons4

British-American publishing company

Penguin Random House LLC is a British-American multinational publishing conglomerate, created on July 1, 2013, through the merger of Penguin Books and Random House. Along with Simon & Schuster, Hachette, HarperCollins and Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Random House is considered one of the "Big Five" English-language publishers. In 2020, Bertelsmann became the sole owner of Penguin Random House after a 2019 purchase.2 Its revenue was €4.2 billion in 2022.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

Jul 1, 2013Founded1
  • Industrypublishing1
  • HeadquartersNew York City1
  • Founded inNew York City1
  • Websiteglobal.penguinrandomhouse.com
  • Legal formlimited liability company1
  • LEI529900G1S6D7T5ZIX1983
  • StatusActive3
  • LEI statusIssued and current3
  • Registered addressc/o CORPORATION SERVICE COMPANY, 251 LITTLE FALLS DRIVE, 19808 Wilmington, United States3
  • Registered withDivision of Corporations, Department of State, 52967893

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London Book Fair 2016
Photo: ActuaLitté, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons6

Penguin Random House LLC is a British-American multinational publishing conglomerate, created on July 1, 2013, through the merger of Penguin Books and Random House. Along with Simon & Schuster, Hachette, HarperCollins and Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Random House is considered one of the "Big Five" English-language publishers.2

Corporate structure

Penguin Random House is part of a group headed by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA. 296 entities, 28 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0). Each entity in the chart links to its source.

What it owns

What Penguin Random House reports owning in its annual reports to the SEC: buildings, land and equipment, real estate and locations, investments, intangible assets and inventory, at the end of its latest fiscal year and a year before.

Stakes and holdings (Wikidata)

Things Wikidata records the company as owning, with the share when stated.1

The story

Founded by Bertelsmann and Pearson plc on Jul 1, 2013, in New York City.1

Penguin Random House was formed on July 1, 2013, by Markus Dohle upon the completion of a £2.4 billion transaction between Bertelsmann and Pearson to merge their respective trade publishing companies, Random House and Penguin Group. Bertelsmann and Pearson, the parent companies, initially owned 53% and 47%, respectively. Jane Ciabattari of Library Journal has referred to this merger as the publishing industry's response to the increasing dominance of Amazon.com in the book market. Dohle was named CEO of the new company, which had more than 10,000 employees worldwide with more than 250 imprints and publishing houses and a publishing list of more than 15,000 new titles a year. Penguin Random House relaunched Book Country, Penguin's online writing community, on July 29, 2013. On September 24, 2014, Random House Studio signed a first-look production deal with Universal Pictures, under which Random House would be the producer of films based on Penguin Random House books. The Universal subsidiary Focus Features has frequently collaborated with Random House Films. Having previously created Puffin Rock animation, Richard Haines was chosen to head Penguin Random House Children's TV development strategy with the assistance of licensing, publishing, and TV development executive Emily Campan.

In November 2015, Pearson announced it would rebrand to focus on its education division. On July 11, 2017, Pearson sold 22% of its stake in the business to Bertelsmann, thereby retaining a 25% holding. On December 18, 2019, Bertelsmann agreed to acquire Pearson's 25% stake in Penguin Random House, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Bertelsmann. The sale was completed on April 2, 2020. In June 2020, Penguin Random House became part of a group of publishers who sued the Internet Archive, arguing that its collection of e-books was denying authors and publishers revenue and accusing the library of "willful mass copyright infringement".

On November 25, 2020, Penguin Random House agreed to purchase American publisher Simon & Schuster from ViacomCBS for $2.175 billion, with a formal regulatory approval process to follow the purchase agreement. On November 2, 2021, the US Justice Department filed a civil antitrust lawsuit to block Penguin Random House's proposed acquisition of Simon & Schuster, alleging that the acquisition would create a publisher with too much influence over books and author payments. In October 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of the Justice Department. On November 21, 2022, Penguin Random House officially scrapped the deal. As a result, it was to pay a $200 million termination fee to the recently rebranded Paramount Global. Simon & Schuster would instead be sold to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts on October 30, 2023.

In July 2024, it was announced that Penguin Random House would acquire comic book publisher Boom! Studios.

From Wikipedia’s article on Penguin Random House, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5

Leadership

Who has led Penguin Random House, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Chief executive

  1. Markus Dohle2013–2022

Chair

  1. John Makinson2013–2016
201520202025

Products and brands

Divisions and imprints

DK

DK (Dorling Kindersley) was founded in London in 1974.

Alpha, publishes Complete Idiot's Guides

As of 2015, DK also has official publishing relationships with Angry Birds, Lego, Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney.

Crown Publishing Group

Crown Publishing was founded in 1933 as the Outlet Book Company, a remainder house, and is now a publisher of fiction and narrative non-fiction. In 2018, Crown was combined with the main Random House Publishing Group.

Read the full text

Amphoto Books, publishes photography books

Broadway Books, founded in 1996 as part of Bantam Doubleday Dell and is now the paperback imprint of Crown

Clarkson Potter, produces cookbooks, illustrated gift books, and journals

Crown Archetype, hardcover publisher of pop-culture titles

Crown Business, publishes business-related content

Crown Forum, publishes political discourse

Hogarth Press, partnership between Crown in the US and Windus in the UK

Image Catholic Books (Doubleday Religion), Waterbrook & Multnomah publish Christian non-fiction and fiction titles

Pam Krauss Books, founded in 1915 and publishes culinary, food, and lifestyle related titles

Ten Speed Press, joined Crown in 2009 as a West Coast publisher of nonfiction and gift titles

Tim Duggan Books, founded in 2014

Watson-Guptill, publishes illustrated art books as part of Ten Speed Press

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Alfred A. Knopf, publisher of hardcover fiction and nonfiction, founded in 1915 by Alfred A. Knopf, and Blanche Knopf. Titles under Alfred A. Knopf have won 58 Pulitzers as well as Nobel and National Book Awards.

Doubleday, publisher of commercial, literary, and serious nonfiction founded in 1897

Pantheon, founded in 1942 by Kurt Wolff

Schocken, publisher of Judaica, became a part of Random House in 1945

Vintage Books, trade paperback publisher founded by Alfred A. Knopf in 1954

Anchor Books, publisher of history, science, women's studies, sociology and fiction

Vintage Español, Spanish-language publisher in the United States, founded in 1994 by Alfred A. Knopf

Black Lizard, also known as Vintage Crime, publisher of crime fiction, acquired by Random House in 1990

Nan A. Talese, literary imprint formed in 1990 to house authors published by editor Nan A. Talese

Everyman's Library, a series of reprinted classic literature currently published in hardback

Penguin Publishing Group

Avery, publisher of nonfiction and lifestyle books founded in 1974

Berkley Publishing Group/New American Library, contain several imprints including Jove, Signet, Ace, Roc, Sensation, and Caliber

DAW, publisher of science fiction and fantasy

Dutton, small boutique fiction and non-fiction publisher of about 40 books per year

Putnam, publisher founded in 1838

Pamela Dorman Books/Viking, established in 2010 as a boutique publisher of VP Pamela Dorman

Penguin, established in 1935 in the UK as a publisher of mass market paperbacks; houses Penguin Books, Penguin Classics, and most recently Penguin Press

Perigee, originally the trade paperback imprint for G.P. Putnam's Sons; publishes prescriptive non-fiction, self-help and how-to books

Plume, trade paperback imprint with a focus on multi-cultural and LGBT publishing

Portfolio, founded in 2001 as a business imprint

Riverhead, publisher of literary fiction and non-fiction founded in 1994

Sentinel, founded in 2003 as a conservative imprint

TarcherPerigee, publisher of mind, body, and spiritualism titles

Viking Press, founded in 1925 and publishes both fiction and non-fiction titles

Penguin Young Readers Group

Penguin Young Readers Group is a division devoted to books for young readers and young adults.

Dial Books for Young Readers, publishes about 70 hardcover children's books per year

Firebird, publishes young adult science fiction and fantasy

Frederick Warne, publisher founded in 1865 that develops brands based on classic children's literature such as Peter Rabbit

G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, publisher of picture books

Grosset & Dunlap, publisher of paperback series, leveled readers, nonfiction, brands, and licenses for ages 0–12

Kathy Dawson Books, launched in 2014 by publisher Kathy Dawson to publish hardcover middle-grade and YA fiction

Ladybird Books, publishes books for toddlers

Nancy Paulsen Books, launched in 2011 by publisher Nancy Paulsen to publish picture books

Philomel Books

Price Stern Sloan (PSS!), founded to publish the Mad Libs books in the 1960s, expanded to publish additional children's, novelty, and humor titles

Puffin Books, publishes books for young readers in various formats

Razorbill, publishes middle grade and young adult books

Speak, launched in 2002 to publish classic and new young adult fiction

Viking, publishes books for young readers

Random House Publishing Group

Ballantine Books, founded in 1952 to publish fiction and nonfiction hardcover and paperback titles

Bantam Books, originally a publisher of mass-market reprints; currently publishes fiction and nonfiction in all formats

Boom! Studios, founded in 2005 and acquired in 2024 as a publisher of comic books and graphic novels

Convergent, publishes in the categories of spiritual practice, personal growth, self-help, relationships, memoir, social commentary, and lifestyle.

Delacorte Press, founded in 1921 as a publisher of pulp magazines, detective stories, and movie articles, has expanded to publish original fiction in all formats

Del Rey Books, branch of Ballantine Books that focuses on science fiction and fantasy titles

The Dial Press, literary publisher

Inklore, founded in 2023 to publish manga, manhwa, manhua, webcomics adaptations, and light novels

Harmony Books publishes in the categories of wellness, psychology, science, self-help, spirituality, relationships, personal growth and memoir.

Modern Library, publisher of American and international classics founded by Boni & Liveright

Random House, originally founded in 1927 by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer, and publishes fiction

Rodale Books (formerly Rodale, Inc.) publishes in the categories of health and fitness, self-improvement, career advancements, relationships, parenting, spirituality, cooking, and lifestyle.

Heyne Publishing, a German fiction Publisher for mass-market

Spiegel & Grau

Sugar23 Books, fiction and non-fiction

Alibi, Flirt, Hydra, and Loveswept, publish e-originals in genre fiction

One World, founded in 1991 with a focus on multicultural fiction and nonfiction, relaunched in 2016

Random House Children's Books

Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, publisher of board books, picture books, novels and non-fiction

Bluefire, fantasy imprint for middle grade and young adult readers

Crown Books for Young Readers

Dragonfly, publishes paperback picture books

Ember, publishes young adult and middle grade trade paperbacks, such as titles by Judy Blume and Dana Reinhardt

Frederick Warne & Co., publishes children's books, such as titles by Beatrix Potter

Golden Books, picture book, novelty, and activity book publisher launched in 1900

Laurel-Leaf, publishes young adult literature in a mass-market format

Little Tiger Press, British publisher

Make Me A World, imprint dedicated to exploring the vast possibilities of contemporary childhood, directed by Christopher Myers

The Princeton Review, publishes print and digital test prep materials

Random House Books for Young Readers, publisher of Dr. Seuss, Babar, Magic Tree House series, Junie B. Jones, and Step into Reading

Random House Graphic, launched in 2018, publishes graphic novels

Schwartz and Wade, launched in 2005 and directed by Anne Schwartz and Lee Wade

Sylvan Learning, publishes workbooks and study aids.

Yearling Books, publishes middle grade paperbacks

Wendy Lamb Books, publisher of middle-grade and young adult fiction launched in 2002

Sourcebooks

Sourcebooks

Sourcebooks Landmark

Sourcebooks Casablanca

Cumberland House

Simple Truths

Sourcebooks Fire

Sourcebooks Kids

Sourcebooks Wonderland

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Sourcebooks Young Readers

Sourcebooks eXplore

Poisoned Pen Press

Bloom Books

Callisto Media

Rockridge Press

Penguin Random House Digital Publishing Group

Random House Puzzles & Games

Sasquatch Books

Audiobooks

Books on Tape

Listening Library

Penguin Audio

Random House Audio

Playaway

Penguin Random House International

Companhia das Letras (70% Brazil)

Alfaguara

Objetiva

Suma de Letras

Zahar

Penguin Random House Australia

Penguin Random House Group (UK)

Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial (Spain/Portugal/Latin America)

Alfaguara

Ediciones B

Editorial Bruguera

Plaza & Janés

Roca Editorial

Santillana Ediciones Generales

Penguin Random House India

Duckbill Books

Penguin Enterprise, vanity publishing division focusing on bespoke publishing services for corporations and individuals

Penguin Random House New Zealand

Penguin Random House Canada

Penguin Random House South Africa

Struik

Transworld Ireland

Verlagsgruppe Penguin Random House (Germany)

Penguin Random House Publisher Services

Handling distribution and marketing for Shambhala Publications, Disney Publishing Worldwide (including National Geographic Books), Wizards of the Coast, Kodansha USA (including Vertical Inc.), New York Review Books, Titan Books, Other Press, North Atlantic Books, Blue Star Press, DC Comics, Seven Seas Entertainment, and Dark Horse Comics among others.

It also handles direct market distribution for Marvel Comics starting October 1, 2021, direct market distribution for IDW Publishing starting June 1, 2022, and direct market distribution for Dark Horse Comics starting June 1, 2023.

Ebury Publishing

BBC Books

Ebury Press

Rider

Time Out

Virgin Books

Vermilion

Subsidiaries

Book Country

Book Country was a subsidiary online writing and publishing community. Book Country was launched in April 2011 with a focus on romance, mystery, science fiction, fantasy. On July 29, 2013, Book Country relaunched with online writing workshops in more than 60 literary categories, including literary fiction, memoir, and women's fiction. As of September 2013, the site had more than 10,000 members. As of May 2025, new members cannot register an account, and it appears that previously registered members can only access limited features.

From Wikipedia’s article on Penguin Random House, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

Owners

Subsidiaries

All 42 subsidiaries

Also owns

Former owners and parents

Parent company (GLEIF)

From Wikidata.1 Ownership links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); each one cites its LEI record.

Acquisitions

  1. Jul 1, 2013Acquired Crown Publishing Group1
  2. 2013Acquired Delacorte Press1
  3. 2013Acquired Dutton1
  4. 2013Acquired Random House of Canada1
  5. 2012Tundra Books became a subsidiary1
  6. 2011Acquired Blue Rider Press1
  7. Succeeded Penguin Group1
  8. Succeeded Random House1

Revenue over time

As stated on Wikidata, in the currency reported.

Revenue

  • 20224.2B EUR1

Timeline

  1. Jan 24, 2018Parent Directly consolidated by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA3
  2. Jul 1, 2013New chief executive Markus Dohle becomes CEO1
  3. Jul 1, 2013Acquired Acquired by Pearson plc1
  4. Jul 1, 2013Acquired Acquired by Bertelsmann1
  5. Jul 1, 2013Founded Founded in New York City1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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