Madame Tussaud's wax museum has now grown to become one of the major tourist attractions in London, and has expanded with branches in Amsterdam, Hong Kong (Victoria
Peak), Las Vegas, Shanghai, Berlin, Washington D.C., New
York City, and Hollywood. The current owner is
Merlin Entertainments Group, a company owned by Blackstone Investment Group LP.In July 2008, Madame Tussauds' Berlin branch became embroiled in controversy when a 41-year old
German man brushed past
two guards and decapitated a wax figure depicting Adolf Hitler. This was believed to be an act of protest against showing the ruthless dictator alongside
sports heroes, movie stars, and other historical figures. However, the statue has since been repaired and the perpetrator has admitted he attacked the statue to win a bet.The original model of Hitler, unveiled in Madame Tussauds London in April 1933 was frequently vandalised and a replacement in 1936 had to be carefully guarded.