Museum Studio enters exclusive discussions to acquire, operate and develop Chaplin’s World internationally

Museum Studio enters exclusive discussions to acquire, operate  and develop Chaplin’s World internationally 

Michaël Fribourg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Compagnie Chargeurs Invest, stated:  “Chargeurs Museum Studio’s commitment to acquiring this exceptional cultural asset primarily reflects our recognition and admiration for the outstanding work of the co‑founders of this extraordinary place. Visionaries, they conceived, with the unwavering support of the Chaplin family and public authorities, a pioneering venue that celebrates the work of this universal genius, creating exceptional experiences already lauded by more than one and a half million visitors.

At the same time becoming the successor to By Grévin, which successfully supported the venue’s early operational years, our ambition is twofold: to expand the site’s appeal through a diversification program to be studied further, and to amplify the Chaplin’s World experience worldwide via new sites outside Switzerland.

Following the successful acquisition of Skira and the Grand Palais Immersif, Museum Studio will thus acquire an asset with strong intangible value, further enriching our differentiated cultural offering to major international stakeholders.”

Delphine de Canecaude, Chief Executive Officer of Museum Studio, stated: « The proposed acquisition of Chaplin’s World marks a key milestone in Museum Studio’s development. By adding to our cultural portfolio a unique museum dedicated to one of the 20th century’s most influential creators, we reaffirm our ambition: to transform great cultural heritages into living platforms, connecting with global audiences through emotion, innovation, and educational engagement.

Charlie Chaplin gave cinema a universal and deeply humanistic reach, inventing an artistic language accessible to all cultures and generations. Building on this unique legacy, we aim to amplify Chaplin’s World’s appeal by developing new creative, interpretive, and outreach projects on an international scale.

By incorporating this museum into our ecosystem, we strengthen our position as a leading player in the management and valorisation of cultural venues. Our belief is clear: the future of cultural institutions depends on their ability to combine patrimonial excellence, museological innovation, and societal impact. With Chaplin’s World, we continue this mission and open a new chapter to shine a light on Chaplin’s work and spirit worldwide.”

Chaplin's World joins Museum Studio: an iconic museum with high international potential Museum Studio and Groupe Fribourg announced their intention to acquire Chaplin’s World—the only museum in the world entirely dedicated to Charlie Chaplin—including its operation, the domain, and the intellectual property associated with the artist’s museum universe.

Opened in 2016 in Corsier‑sur‑Vevey, Switzerland, Chaplin’s World has already enchanted nearly one and a half million visitors from over 70 countries, a testament to the international reach and lasting cultural impact of Chaplin’s oeuvre. Located in the Manoir de Ban, where the artist lived for 25 years, the museum offers an exceptional immersive experience across over 4,000 m² of exhibition space. It includes an eco‑responsible cinema studio, meticulously re‑created sets, dozens of wax figures, previously unseen archives, and a 5‑hectare park—providing a unique setting for exploring this universe.

This flagship cultural site quickly established itself as a major tourist attraction on the Vaud Riviera, supported by the scenographic expertise of Yves Durand and Grévin. Its success earned it multiple international awards, notably the award for Best European Museum (2018).

It should be noted that the planned acquisition will lead Museum Studio to take over operating and associated rights, while the real estate infrastructure components will likely be acquired by the controlling shareholder of Compagnie Chargeurs Invest and made available for operations under a market‑based contractual arrangement governed by regulated agreements.

A popular and educational editorial revival

An extraordinary storyteller of universal narratives, Charlie Chaplin endowed cinema with unprecedented narrative power, rooted in emotion, humor, and gesture. With Charlot, the first cinematic hero and modern myth, he continues to fascinate and inspire artists across all disciplines. Through his critical, social, and poetic gaze on the modern world, he created a visual culture of rare strength, capturing attention and fostering reflection among contemporary audiences.

Museum Studio intends to build on this unique legacy to renew Chaplin’s World’s momentum, transforming it into a new cultural destination that is accessible and welcoming to all audiences—where one comes to feel, learn, laugh, play, imagine, and strive. Drawing on its experience producing exhibitions and running the Grand Palais Immersif, Museum Studio now seeks to reinvigorate Chaplin’s World: refreshing visitor experiences, aligning the museum’s programming with the rhythm of major cultural, festive, and tourist events on the Riviera, and developing new forms of interpretation and educational initiatives to strengthen ties with all audiences. Internationally, Museum Studio aims to create immersive exhibitions around Chaplin’s universal themes and sentiments, ready to tour and resonate globally.

Charlie Chaplin showed that art can be at once popular and deeply uplifting. It is this vibrant, unifying legacy that Museum Studio aims to activate today—to make Chaplin’s World a place where laughter, emotion, and thought converge, inspiring every generation.

Building a high‑value portfolio of cultural assets

This acquisition project follows on the heels of the successful acquisitions of Skira and the Grand Palais Immersif. Museum Studio is pursuing the structured development of a portfolio of cultural assets—venues, exhibition formats, intellectual rights—designed to bring immersive and innovative cultural content to life.

By integrating Chaplin’s World, Museum Studio deploys a distinctive approach centered on staging powerful cultural narratives, blending storytelling, visual creation, and emotion. The goal is to create a coherent ecosystem of culturally valuable rights—capable of generating hybrid formats (museal, digital, experiential)—guided by high artistic quality standards and an international ambition.

This strategy addresses a dual objective: expanding access to culture through engaging experiences, and sustainably enhancing a portfolio of high‑recognition content and cultural rights, driven by transmission, innovation, and global impact.

This transaction remains subject to the completion of ongoing discussions among the stakeholders and, where applicable, to any required authorisations, approvals, and usual suspensive conditions.

Press contacts: 

Switzerland: Thierry Meyer, Dynamics group // tme@dynamicsgroup.ch 

France: Alexandre Vesperini, Compagnie Chargeurs Invest // avesperini@chargeurs.com

2025 Financial calendar 

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 (before market opens)                                                    2025 First-half results 

Wednesday, November 5, 2025 (before market opens)                                                9M and Q3 2025 revenue  

ABOUT COMPAGNIE CHARGEURS INVEST

 Compagnie Chargeurs Invest is a mixed industrial and financial company with a role as an operator and developer of global champions in industry and services, and as an investor with a culture of active portfolio management of high value-added  businesses. Active in nearly 100 countries with around 2,600 employees, Compagnie Chargeurs Invest relies on the long-term commitment of Groupe Familial Fribourg, a committed controlling shareholder, and on its portfolio of assets, to meet the major

                 challenges of its markets. Compagnie Chargeurs Invest achieved revenues of €729.6 million in 2024.

           The share is listed on Euronext Paris and is PEA-PME eligible. 

                ISIN Code: FR0000130692, Bloomberg Code: CRI:FP, Reuters Code: CRIP.PA