What do Chia Pet, WizKids, Party City, and Graceland have in common? The same business daddy: Joel Weinshanker’s Ad Populum group. And now we can add to that motley crew Bran Castle, the formidable Transylvanian estate known the world over as Dracula’s Castle, since it served as Bram Stoker’s inspiration for his titular character’s haunting abode. The site operates as a popular tourist destination (because: Dracula!), and a recent dispute over management saw control given back to the castle’s historical royal heirs. So with the old management out, Ad Populum stepped in to buy 80% of the shares, giving the US company a majority stake (vampire pun!) in the Romanian property made famous by an Irish author. People Mag picked up details of the transaction from local Romanian reporting:
The outlet reports the transaction took place months after a dispute with the company managing the property was settled in a U.S. arbitration court. The court ultimately ruled in favor of a full transfer to the heirs of Princess Ileana, who inherited the castle from her mother, Queen Marie.
Immediately after the acquisition, Profit.ro reports Ad Populum started to recruit staff to handle daily operations including ticket sales, maintenance, event organization, and tours.
In an emailed statement shared with PEOPLE, an Ad Populum spokesperson noted the purchase is in regards to the business operations of Bran Castle, while the property itself remains owned by the Habsburg family, Princess Ileana’s heirs.
They said: “The family has partnered with Joel Weinshanker, who joins as their strategic partner to help elevate the castle’s standing as a premier international destination. The partnership spans several priorities, including expanding tourism to Bran Castle and the surrounding region from the United States and Western Europe, building on the family’s longstanding stewardship of one of Europe’s most iconic cultural landmarks.”
Bran Castle, Romania’s most popular tourist destination, attracts more than a million visitors each year. It boasts a mix of vampire lore, medieval history, and royal heritage. The attraction brought in a record-breaking profit of nearly $7 million in 2024, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais.
Although Stoker used the castle as inspiration for Dracula, he never actually visited Romania, according to Bran Castle’s website. Instead, he primarily based his work on a depiction of the property available in England.
The character of Dracula was fictional, but the name derives from a nickname given to Vlad the Impaler, ruler of Wallachia between 1456-1462, who was described as a ruthless and bloodthirsty leader.
What do you mean Dracula was fictional?? Geez, give a girl a spoiler warning before relaying sensitive info! But no really, it is apparently a point of confusion, as Bran Castle’s own website includes this disclaimer: “It is desirable that visitors to Bran Castle distinguish between the historical reality of Bran and its character. Count Dracula from his novel Bram Stoker Dracula was and remains an imaginary character.” That statement says to me that poor guides onsite spend most of their days breaking the news to wishful tourists that Dracula was not a real person, however much the character was modeled on real life figure Vlad the Impaler. You know, the “ruthless and bloodthirsty” guy? Guess who he’s a distant cousin of? King Charles III!!! No wonder Chuck holds onto his own Transylvanian pile. In any event, I hope the new management proves to be the boon Bran Castle needed to stay afloat and open to the (paying) public. I’m just a little wary of possible cross-brand contamination within Ad Populum’s portfolio. The world doesn’t need a Count Dracula Bat Chia Pet, is what I’m saying.
PS — Bram Stoker didn’t even see the castle in person? HACK!
Photos credit: IMAGO/Peter Schickert/Avalon, IMAGO/Zoonar.com/Phil Bird/Avalon, Ferrari – Look/Look Press/Avalon