Record-Breaking Matchstick Eiffel Tower Struck Down by Guinness
A Frenchman’s dream of a Guinness World Record for his 23.6-foot Eiffel Tower model was dashed due to the use of non-standard matches. Despite the disappointment, Plaud’s masterpiece was exhibited to an audience of 4,000, but its future presentation remains uncertain.
By Beth Snider · February 8, 2024
Richard Plaud, a 47-year-old Frenchman, invested eight years of meticulous effort into creating a colossal 23.6-foot model of the Eiffel Tower using an astounding 706,900 matchsticks. Plaud’s dream of securing a Guinness World Record for the tallest matchstick sculpture, however, came crashing down when his application was rejected on the grounds of the matches used in his intricate creation.
The current record, held by Lebanese artist Toufic Daher since 2009, stands at 21.4 feet, and Plaud’s towering masterpiece would have surpassed it. Plaud expressed his frustration on social media, describing the decision as a “great disappointment.”
In a scathing post, Plaud revealed that Guinness World Records (GWR) rejected his application without even reviewing it. The reason provided by GWR was that the matches used in the sculpture must be commercially available, without flammable red tips, and must not be cut, disassembled, or deformed beyond recognition.
Plaud shared that he initially started the project with commercially bought matches but grew weary of manually removing the red tips one by one. Subsequently, he struck a deal with a French company to supply him with 33-pound boxes of headless matches, unaware that this would jeopardize his record attempt.
In response to the controversy, Mark McKinley, the director of central records services for Guinness World Records, acknowledged the possibility of being “heavy-handed” with Plaud’s application. McKinley stated, “We will make contact with the record holder again as well as review rules for similar records as a priority, to see what can be done.”
Despite the setback, Plaud managed to show his creation to an audience of 4,000 people in January. However, he remains uncertain about the model’s future, expressing disappointment that there is “no room high enough” to present it at the Paris Olympics this summer.