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EU FILES
How a German media mogul took on Big Tech
- and lost to Elon Musk
Friends with Elon Musk and on top of one of Europe's most powerful media empires. Meet German billionaire Mathias Döpfner, CEO of publishing giant Axel Springer. He has managed to expand his influence beyond journalism, venturing into the world of Big Tech and the EU's halls of power. But he too now learns: in Trumpworld, old alliances die fast.
Pictures of Thiel & Döpfner
https://archive.is/2025.02.22-090426/https://www.ftm.eu/articles/mathias-dopfner-musk-loving-german-billionaire-publishing-mogul-casts-a-shadow-over-brussels
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What is the news?
→ Politico, the influential news outlet, is under pressure after the Trump government declared its subscription business too expensive. This is a blow to Politico's parent company Axel Springer and its boss Mathias Döpfner, who has for years cultivated a relationship with Elon Musk. Now, Musk has led the Trump government's charge against Politico.
- Döpfner has garnered controversy over revelations about his right-wing political leanings and editorial meddling in Springer's German papers, as well as Springer's botched handling of a high-level sexual misconduct case.
• Döpfner also personally lobbied the European Commission against a law meant to strengthen the editorial independence of European media, according to documents obtained by Follow the Money.
→ Recent changes within Politico's European operation, including the hunt for a new executive editor, could create an opening for more direct interference from Springer.
Why does it matter?
→ Springer is a leading media company in Europe and publisher of Bild, Germany's most read tabloid, as well as Politico, which is highly influential among policy-makers in both Brussels and Washington.
→ As the company eyes further international expansion, its ambitions could be complicated by Döpfner's convictions and his brash management style. Could the Springer leader's personal connections, once his greatest asset, become a liability?
How was this investigated?
→ We spoke with more than 20 sources, including a dozen current and former journalists who worked at Springer-owned companies
→ We also got documents on Springer's and Döpfner's lobbying in Brussels, and reviewed publicly available recordings of Döpfner's appearances.
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#Springer and its Swiss partner #Ringier quietly lobbied #EU Commission
#BigTech #FollowTheMoney