Axel Springer is going all in on America
The controversial German publisher thinks it can conquer the digital news market
Mathias Döpfner is a polarising figure in Germany. Lefties loathe him for leading Axel Springer, a publishing giant, because of the aggressive gutter journalism of Bild, its flagship tabloid that helps set the tone of the political debate. Conservatives take umbrage at his provocative pronouncements. And jealous types of all stripes envy his transformation from music critic to media mogul, who in 2020 received Springer shares worth a cool €1bn ($1.1bn) from Friede Springer, widow of the firm’s eponymous founder, as a gift.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Mathias in the middle”
Business February 25th 2023
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