The man who awarded Tulsa the world record for longest classic car parade Saturday got his start in books. Children’s books. Specifically, buying the Guinness Book of World Records book as a kid at school book fairs while growing up in Buffalo, New York.
Now Michael Empric is one of 69 Guiness Book of World Records adjudicators worldwide – responsible for certifying efforts that are the biggest, the longest, the smallest, the shortest.
The London-based company has made hundreds of millions of dollars over the years selling books and holding contests that tease both human curiosity and our collective fascination for superlatives.
“Almost every kid loves Guinness World Records. We still sell between 1.4 and 1.5 million books a year,” Empric said. “It’s really why I have my job.”
Adjudicators’ salaries are paid by Guinness while travel and hotel accommodations are handled by event organizers. The adjudicators cannot receive any gifts including meals and stay largely sequestered when in a town for a record attempt.
Empric wouldn’t say what he earns but joked that he does live in New York City, and that’s not cheap. Fees to attempt a world record range from free to $10,000, depending on the level of services required in an attempt.
Empric became an adjudicator after he went to an event as a spectator and thought he could do a better job. He sent an email to Guiness and a week later, he got a call and, soon after, a job.
“To be a good adjudicator, you have to be great with a diverse range of people,” Empric said. “You have to be good in front of a crowd. You have to be very rule-oriented. So, if something doesn’t happen, if they break the rules, if a record is not successful, you have to have the confidence to say, ‘I’m sorry this wasn’t successful.’ A lot of people can’t do both.”
Empric’s full-time job for 15 years has been traveling to either give good news or crush dreams.
“I’ve regularly delivered really bad news to people, and that’s part of why setting a Guinness World Records title is such an achievement,” Empric said. “It’s because you’ve done something that is not just setting the title, but it’s celebrating your community.
“What I love about this attempt is that it’s so appropriate to the community. They really want to celebrate Route 66’s 100th anniversary. It’s really a great record attempt for the community.”
Empric was the adjudicator in January 2023 when Andolini’s Worldwide and the University of Tulsa successfully set a Guinness record for biggest pizza party. Then, 3,357 participants came to the party to eat the required two slices. Two years later, the record was broken by 4,525 people in New Haven, Connecticut.
Empric is off next to Dallas then to Miami. He is not certain what records are being sought but has noticed a lot more soccer-related attempts, likely due to the FIFA World Cup this year.
“Nothing is odd to me,” Empric said. “I know the tallest woman and the shortest man. I know the fingernail people, so nothing is strange to me.”
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