Kraken Opus
Encyclopedia
Kraken Opus is a publishing company operating from Guernsey
in the Channel Islands
; London, United Kingdom
; and the United Arab Emirates
. The company produces premium, outsized editions on subjects including sports teams and celebrities, and on broader topics including the Muslim hajj
. The company describes its publications, which are produced in limited editions retailing for up to £1m, as "works of art".
investment banker. He founded Kraken Opus following a period managing his own financial services company, for which he built up a client list including a number of sports stars. The interests of these clients inspired him to consider a high-end publication for sports fans; he invested $5 million of his own money and of capital put up by friends and acquaintances to found Kraken Opus. Its first title was the Manchester United Opus, published in 2006: the book weighed 97 lb and each edition in its 10,000 run was priced between £3000 and £4500.
In December 2008 the company opened a proprietary shop in Covent Garden
. The company entered voluntary administration in June 2009 when a US backer announced that a tranche of $6m in promised funding would not be forthcoming. Days later, following an offer to existing shareholders, Fowler and partner Paul Murphy undertook a management buyout
of the company, announcing that a new Arab funder had been found at that the company's headquarters would be moved from London to the United Arab Emirates
. At the time the company faced criticism over the delayed publication of the £3000-per-copy Celtic
Opus, which was postponed from July 2009, after pre-orders and deposits had been received. The print run was also reduced, but the firm insisted that publication would still go ahead.
Opus, a 15-foot-tall edition of which was commissioned to stand in the lobby of the building on its opening. A copy of the Manchester United Opus, auctioned for $1.5m to a Middle Eastern consortium with proceeds given to the Dubai Cares
charity, was the most expensive sports book ever sold. Wine Opus had a print run of only one hundred copies, each priced at AU£1.2m each; while one hundred copies of the forthcoming Diego Maradona
Opus are due to ship with samples of Maradona's blood and hair. The Prince
Opus was sold, in tandem with a branded iPhone
model, for US$2,100. Kraken Opus, in partnership with ticket vendor Ticketmaster
, also produced the £109 Michael Jackson
Opus, the only book licensed by the Jackson estate in the immediate aftermath of his death.In 2009, India
n Cricket
player, Sachin Tendulkar
became the only second sportsperson in the world to have an Opus named after him. It's specialty consists of 856 pages edged in Gold Leaf
. Each page measures 50 cm x 50 cm. The weight of the Opus measures up to 37 kg. Over 300,000 words are lodged in the Opus. Rare 1,500-plus images, each individually varnished. Four 200 cm x 50 cm gatefolds and Silk-covered clamshell box. 10 special copies of the Tendulkar Opus have traces of Sachin Tendulkar
's blood. The price ranges up to $80,000 each. The offical store is in Lonodn.
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
; London, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
; and the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. The company produces premium, outsized editions on subjects including sports teams and celebrities, and on broader topics including the Muslim hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
. The company describes its publications, which are produced in limited editions retailing for up to £1m, as "works of art".
Company history
The company is owned by Karl Fowler, a former Goldman SachsGoldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
investment banker. He founded Kraken Opus following a period managing his own financial services company, for which he built up a client list including a number of sports stars. The interests of these clients inspired him to consider a high-end publication for sports fans; he invested $5 million of his own money and of capital put up by friends and acquaintances to found Kraken Opus. Its first title was the Manchester United Opus, published in 2006: the book weighed 97 lb and each edition in its 10,000 run was priced between £3000 and £4500.
In December 2008 the company opened a proprietary shop in Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
. The company entered voluntary administration in June 2009 when a US backer announced that a tranche of $6m in promised funding would not be forthcoming. Days later, following an offer to existing shareholders, Fowler and partner Paul Murphy undertook a management buyout
Management buyout
A management buyout is a form of acquisition where a company's existing managers acquire a large part or all of the company.- Overview :Management buyouts are similar in all major legal aspects to any other acquisition of a company...
of the company, announcing that a new Arab funder had been found at that the company's headquarters would be moved from London to the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. At the time the company faced criticism over the delayed publication of the £3000-per-copy Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
Opus, which was postponed from July 2009, after pre-orders and deposits had been received. The print run was also reduced, but the firm insisted that publication would still go ahead.
Publications
Several of the company's publications have attracted press notice, including the Burj DubaiBurj Dubai
Burj Khalifa , known as Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is currently the tallest structure in the world, at . Construction began on 21 September 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009...
Opus, a 15-foot-tall edition of which was commissioned to stand in the lobby of the building on its opening. A copy of the Manchester United Opus, auctioned for $1.5m to a Middle Eastern consortium with proceeds given to the Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares is a humanitarian initiative that seeks to provide children in developing countries with access to quality primary education. It was launched in September 2007 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates, and the Ruler of...
charity, was the most expensive sports book ever sold. Wine Opus had a print run of only one hundred copies, each priced at AU£1.2m each; while one hundred copies of the forthcoming Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
Opus are due to ship with samples of Maradona's blood and hair. The Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
Opus was sold, in tandem with a branded iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
model, for US$2,100. Kraken Opus, in partnership with ticket vendor Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is an independent American ticket sales and distribution company based in West Hollywood, California, USA, with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010 it merged with Live Nation to become Live Nation Entertainment...
, also produced the £109 Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
Opus, the only book licensed by the Jackson estate in the immediate aftermath of his death.In 2009, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
player, Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
became the only second sportsperson in the world to have an Opus named after him. It's specialty consists of 856 pages edged in Gold Leaf
Gold leaf
right|thumb|250px|[[Burnishing]] gold leaf with an [[agate]] stone tool, during the water gilding processGold leaf is gold that has been hammered into extremely thin sheets and is often used for gilding. Gold leaf is available in a wide variety of karats and shades...
. Each page measures 50 cm x 50 cm. The weight of the Opus measures up to 37 kg. Over 300,000 words are lodged in the Opus. Rare 1,500-plus images, each individually varnished. Four 200 cm x 50 cm gatefolds and Silk-covered clamshell box. 10 special copies of the Tendulkar Opus have traces of Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
's blood. The price ranges up to $80,000 each. The offical store is in Lonodn.