Mental Floss Celebrates Twenty Years Of Publishing Smart Content For Curious Readers

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mental Floss, Minute Media’s award-winning media brand living at the intersection of knowledge and entertainment, today celebrates its 20th anniversary. Since its founding in 2001 in a Duke University dorm, Mental Floss has reached more than 1 billion readers with smart, quirky content presented in a witty, upbeat voice. The Mental Floss team of editors and writers answers life’s big questions, uncovers fascinating facts, and finds stories so interesting that readers absolutely must share them.

“Congratulations to Mental Floss on its 20th anniversary. It’s a huge achievement and true testament to the Mental Floss team and their commitment to educating and entertaining. Staying true to that mission is what has kept the brand relevant for all these years,” said Asaf Peled, Founder and CEO of Minute Media. “When we acquired Mental Floss in 2018, we knew it was a unique asset that fit in perfectly with Minute Media’s focus of passionate storytelling. We look forward to seeing what Mental Floss brings us over the next 20 years!”

Over the past 20 years, Mental Floss has evolved alongside the media industry from a print magazine to a digital property that has complemented its content with podcasts, books, a YouTube channel, calendars, board games, t-shirts and more. On May 25, Mental Floss will publish its latest book, The Curious Reader: A Literary Miscellany of Novels & Novelists. Edited by Vice President and Editor-in-Chief Erin McCarthy and the Mental Floss team, the book is the first in a program produced by Indelible Editions for Weldon Owen International. Minute Media acquired Mental Floss from the Felix Dennis estate in 2018, bringing on its employees while also taking over the management of its digital assets including website, social channels, programmatic and direct advertising customers.

Erin McCarthy joined MentalFloss.com as Deputy Editor—and the second digital employee—in 2012. “Mental Floss has always been a destination for curious people who are excited to learn something new, whether it’s easily digestible trivia or a different look at a subject you thought you knew front and back,” McCarthy said. “Nearly ten years after I joined, I’m proud to say that we’re still focused on finding incredible and unusual stories to tell and helping our audience feel smarter.”

Mental Floss by the numbers:

  • 1 billion total visitors to MentalFloss.com or Mental Floss, 19 million users per month across website, social media and YouTube
  • 15 books with more on the way
  • 5 board games
  • 4 podcasts (2 produced in partnership with iHeartMedia)
  • 4 Webby awards including a 2020 People’s Choice Webby
  • 1.32 million subscribers on YouTube, with four active series: The List Show, Misconceptions, Food History, and Throwback

For 20 facts about the history of Mental Floss, visit https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/639307/mental-floss-facts.