WhoSay

WhoSay

Company type	Private
Industry	Social media, Branding
Founded	March 2010 (2010-03) in Los Angeles, California, United States
Founder	Steve Ellis
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Steve Ellis (Founder), Rob Gregory (Chief Revenue Officer)
Products	Social media platform for celebrities
Owner	Paramount Global
Parent	Paramount Global
Website	whosay.com

WhoSay is a U.S.-based platform specializing in social media and branding, designed specifically for celebrities and their followers. Established in Los Angeles in 2010 with investment from Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Amazon.com, and other backers, it allows users to maintain copyright ownership of their content while enabling simultaneous posting across networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr. Marketed as a "social celebrity magazine," WhoSay delivers editorial-style updates focused on celebrity happenings.

Notable clients like Dylan McDermott and Chris Rock commend the service for streamlining multi-platform posting; Rock emphasizes its user-friendliness for those less familiar with technology. Its main competition includes theAudience, operated by William Morris Endeavor.

History

Launched in March 2010 by Steve Ellis in partnership with CAA and funded by entities including Amazon.com, Comcast, Greylock Partners, and High Peak Ventures, WhoSay is headquartered in Manhattan's The New York Times Building, with additional offices located in Los Angeles' Silicon Beach and London. The company is dedicated to safeguarding celebrities' intellectual property rights and providing them with opportunities to monetize their content through copyright branding. Steve Ellis, previously affiliated with Getty Images, was brought on board by CAA to tackle the issue of celebrities losing control over their photos and videos online. He characterizes WhoSay as a platform that empowers prominent figures to oversee their digital footprint, describing it as "a People magazine created by the people themselves."

The platform's expansion gained momentum when CAA client Tom Hanks joined three months after its debut. Within a three-year span, WhoSay established an exclusive, invitation-only roster of 1,500 entertainers—including actors, musicians, and artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kevin Spacey, Jim Carrey, and Bill Maher—extending beyond just CAA affiliates. The service is offered free to celebrities, who benefit from revenue sharing on advertisements and access tools for engaging with fans. For instance, Dylan McDermott appreciates the capability to post simultaneously across several networks, including China's Tencent.

In September 2013, WhoSay introduced a consumer-focused mobile application; by October of that year, it attracted 12 million monthly visitors. Rob Gregory joined as chief revenue officer in July 2014, coming from Newsweek subsidiary The Daily Beast, where he concentrated on monetization strategies involving premium advertising and brand collaborations.

WhoSay restricts access by not permitting consumer accounts or search functionality, catering exclusively to high-profile individuals. By February 2015, the platform recorded 4.8 million unique users and broadened its offerings to serve companies that hire celebrities for branded content initiatives. Noteworthy partnerships include Lexus—with actress Rosario Dawson endorsing a clothing line linked to her foundation—and Chevrolet's #BestDayEver campaign featuring stars like Olivia Wilde, Alec Baldwin, and Norman Reedus interacting with audiences through social media-powered events. Additional collaborations involve brands such as KFC, JCPenney, Dunkin' Donuts, and Crest.

In January 2018, Viacom (now known as Paramount Global) acquired WhoSay, strengthening its footprint in influencer marketing within the entertainment sector.