The Learning Annex

The Learning Annex
Privately Held Corporation
Industry Adult Education, Continuing Education, Seminars, Speakers
Founded New York (1980)
Headquarters New York City, New York, USA
Products Real Estate Wealth Expo, Trump Expo
Revenue US$102 million (2007)
Number of employees
 114 (2007)
Website learningannex.com

The Learning Annex is a private continuing adult education school based in New York. It was founded in 1980 by Bill Zanker in his New York City studio apartment with an investment of only $5,000. It is considered the largest adult education company in North America.

The Learning Annex offers a wide range of classes, on topics as diverse as "How to Develop & Write a Winning Business Plan", "Intro to Pole Dancing", "How to Write a Book Proposal That Publishers Can't Refuse", "How To Talk To Your Cat", "How to Buy Foreclosed Property", "Make Contact with Lost Loved Ones", "How to Shoot Your Own Live Adult Video", "Kabbalah-Dating", "How to Create Magical Spells", "Discover Your Past Lives - Who Were You Before?", "How To Make Your Own Soap", "How To Marry the Rich","Developing clairvoyance with Matthew L. Fraser".

Learning Annex has enjoyed pop culture status with appearances on Sex and the City and other shows as well as being a subject of monologues and a component of movie and television plots.

In 1991, Zanker sold the Learning Annex and repurchased the company 11 years later in 2002. At the time of his repurchase it had very little marketing and a roster of little known speakers. Zanker put millions into advertising and marketing and revitalized the company.

In recent years, the Learning Annex has concentrated its efforts on large-scale expos featuring notable speakers such as Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki and Anthony Robbins. Other high-profile speakers include Al Gore, Rudy Giuliani, Alan Greenspan, George Foreman, Julius Erving, David Bach, Joe Montana, Bill Walsh, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Richard Branson, Suze Orman, Russell Simmons, Barbara Corcoran, and John Demartini.

Donald Trump reportedly receives $1.5 million for each one-hour presentation he does for Learning Annex.[1]

In September 2006, William Zanker paid $73,200 to purchase a used Lincoln Town Car belonging to investor Warren Buffett, reportedly in a bid to coax Buffett into conducting a Learning Annex class.[2] In November 2005, Zanker paid $57,100 to have lunch with media mogul Rupert Murdoch.[3]

The Learning Annex was No. 346 on the 2007 Inc. 500 (a list of the nation's fastest-growing private companies) with a reported three year growth of 794.1%, revenue of $102 million and 114 employees.[4]

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