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Mathias Döpfner

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Döpfner in 2011

Mathias Döpfner (born 15 January 1963) is a German businessman and journalist. He is the CEO and 22% owner of media group Axel Springer SE. From 2016 to 2022 he served as president of the Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers (BDZV).

After working as editor-in-chief for several newspapers, he joined the management board of Axel Springer SE in 2000. Friede Springer, head of the media group and widow of founder Axel Springer, designated Döpfner as her successor in 2020 and gave voting rights and shares valued at over 1 billion Euros to him in 2021.[1]

Early life and education

Döpfner grew up in Offenbach am Main. His mother was a housewife and his father, Dieter C. Döpfner, was a university professor of architecture and director of the Offenbach College of Applied Arts from 1966 to 1970.[2]

Döpfner studied musicology, German literature and theater science in Frankfurt and Boston. He obtained a Ph.D. in musicology in 1990 from the University of Frankfurt. A committee of the university found in 2023 that he had engaged in scientific misconduct in the handling quotations, but that he could retain his degree.[3][4]

Career

Friede Springer, Mathias Döpfner, Kai Diekmann and Julian Reichelt on the roof of the US Embassy in Berlin (2019)

Döpfner began his career in 1982 as the music critic of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung supplement. After working as the FAZ correspondent in Brussels, Döpfner moved to Gruner + Jahr in 1992 – initially employed by board member Axel Ganz in Paris, later as assistant to the CEO Gerd Schulte-Hillen.

In April 1994, Döpfner became editor-in-chief of the Berlin weekly newspaper Wochenpost. In 1996 he took over the post of editor-in-chief of the Hamburg tabloid Hamburger Morgenpost.

In March 1998, Döpfner became editor-in-chief of Axel Springer SE's national daily newspaper Die Welt. Döpfner became a member of the management board of Axel Springer SE and head of the newspaper division in 2000, and CEO in 2002.

In 2020, Friede Springer designated Döpfner as her successor as she gifted, sold and transferred the right to vote her stake in the business to him. Under the arrangement, she sold a 4.1% stake to Döpfner and gifted 15% more, bringing his direct stake to 22%. She also transferred voting rights for her remaining 22% in the business.[5]

Journalistic and publishing activities

Döpfner regularly speaks out on media and socio-political, economic and cultural issues. Particular attention was given to his debate with Nobel laureate Günter Grass, documented by Der Spiegel (June 2006). Döpfner surprised with the confession: "I am a non-Jewish Zionist". Alongside the topics of threats from Islamic fundamentalism and the image of the United States in Germany, the discussion also focused on the achievements and the failings of the 1968 movement. Döpfner published his opinion on the threat from Islamism in his WELT essay "The West and the mocking laughter of Islamism".

In July 2009, ARD TV broadcast Döpfner's film "My friend George Weidenfeld". Döpfner sees the film portrait, in which he accompanies Lord Weidenfeld on his travels and at meetings and interviews prominent companions such as Daniel Barenboim, Helmut Kohl, Angela Merkel or Shimon Peres, as "a very subjective approach to a great European".

He has repeatedly commented on the subjects of freedom and digitization, particularly in the fall of 2010 as a visiting professor at the University of Cambridge. Under the title "Freedom and the Digital Revolution" Döpfner held three lectures, which addressed Germans' difficult relationship to freedom, the global erosion of freedom and its causes, and digitization as the fourth major cultural revolution and its impact on the freedom of press, privacy, and journalism[6] as well as in his book "Die Freiheitsfalle – The freedom trap" published by Propyläen Verlag in 2011, in which he focuses on the West's growing tiredness of defending freedom. Taking three watershed events as examples – the fall of the Berlin Wall, Nine Eleven and the financial crisis – Döpfner analyzes the triumphs, threats, and excesses of liberal societies and argues that freedom needs to be fought for, defended and answered for daily, and that democratic societies have not been sufficiently resolute in this regard. They risked falling into the freedom trap and either losing freedom through inaction or betraying it by defending with the wrong means. Alongside the power of freedom in politics and business, Döpfner reflects upon the spirit of freedom in music, literature and painting on the basis of three central works by Richard Wagner, Thomas Mann and Gustave Courbet. The book closes with an analysis of the digital world, in which Döpfner emphasizes the ambivalence of the Internet as a platform critical of authority at the same time as being a monitoring tool controlled by authority.

Döpfner's contributions to media policy include keynotes, for example at the NOAH Conference Berlin 2015[7] or at the SPIEGEL Publishers Forum,[8] the focus of which were the establishment of paid online content and the differentiation between private and public media in digital channels.

For the occasion of the centenary of Axel Springer's birth in 2012, Döpfner gave his personal view of the founder in his New Year's speech. The "Ceremony" in May 2012 was a surprise in itself, as Döpfner converted the entire event into a tongue-in-cheek and entertaining revue without a single speech. He made his own debut as an actor, reciting a fictitious letter to the publisher wearing a hoodie jacket and jeans. The F.A.Z described the revue as an event, in which "pathos, flippancy, understatement and exaggeration, self-righteousness and self-irony were mixed together in a wondrous, sometimes uplifting way, a milestone in the history of the Springer Group."

In an open letter to the executive chairman of Google, Eric Schmidt, he criticized the search engine company,[9] thus triggering a public debate.

In April 2016, Döpfner showed solidarity with German satirist Jan Böhmermann in an open letter.[10] In his show "Neo Magazine Royale", Böhmermann had previously illustrated the difference between satire and insulting criticism with profane a poem about the Turkish President Erdoğan, which led to resentment in the Turkish government as well as a public prosecution in Germany. Erdogan subsequently applied for an injunction against Döpfner in May 2016 at a German Court. The request was rejected in the first and second instance.[11]

In November 2017, Döpfner condemned Kuwait Airlines for barring an Israeli passenger from a flight.[12]

In February 2023 The Economist reported on Döpfner's plans to expand the Springer group's media presence in the United States.[13]

Text message and email leaks

In the course of the compliance procedure around Julian Reichelt, Döpfner sent a text message to a writer in March 2021,[14] which referred to the Federal Republic of Germany as a "new, authoritarian GDR-State".[15] New York Times journalist Ben Smith, who revealed the text message, said that it was a right-wing conspiracy theory that saw COVID-19 restrictions as part of an authoritarian conspiracy. After the incident, the US perception of Axel Springer SE could be brought in line with that in Germany, where it is viewed in a way similar to how Fox News is viewed in the US.[16]

In a private video message to Axel Springer employees, Döpfner urged employees to report abuses of power and disrespectful professional interaction, to speak openly, and to "not to be afraid". He criticized The New York Times for publishing a private SMS message. He stated that a private text message was not public speech and was taken out of context.[17]

In September 2022, the Washington Post reported that Döpfner had sent an email to several close executives shortly before the 2020 US presidential election, in which he praised several of President Donald Trump's policies and asked the recipients to pray that Trump will win again.[18]

The German newspaper Die Zeit reported in April 2023 on several personal email and text messages by Döpfner. In these texts he described himself as being "all for climate change", as a Zionist supporting Israel, praised Trump for the Assassination of Qasem Soleimani, likened COVID-19 to the flu and opposed anti-COVID measures, opposed Angela Merkel, described East Germans as either Communists or Nazis, and urged the editor of his tabloid Bild to push the Free Democratic Party before the 2021 German federal election.[19][4]

Other activities

In 2010, Döpfner was visiting professor in media at the University of Cambridge and became a member of St John's College. In addition, he holds a variety of paid and unpaid positions.

Corporate boards

  • eMarketer, Member of the Board of Directors (since 2016)
  • Insider Inc., Member of the Board of Directors
  • Netflix, Member of the Board of Directors (since 2018)[20]
  • Ringier Axel Springer Schweiz, Member of the Board of Directors (since 2016)
  • Warner Music, Member of the Board of Directors (since 2014)[21]

Non-profit organizations

Personal life

Döpfner is married to Ulrike Weiss, the daughter of Ulrich Weiss, a former management board member of Deutsche Bank AG. They have three sons. One of his sons works as the chief of staff to Peter Thiel.[34] He has another son (born 2016) from a relationship with fellow billionaire Julia Stoschek.[35]

Recognition

Works

  • Mathias O. C. Döpfner, Thomas Garms: Neue Deutsche Welle. Kunst oder Mode? Frankfurt am Main; Berlin; Wien: Ullstein, 1984, ISBN 3-548-36505-1 (Ullstein-Buch, 36505; Populäre Kultur)
  • Mathias O. C. Döpfner, Thomas Garms: Erotik in der Musik. Frankfurt/Main; Berlin: Ullstein, 1986, ISBN 3-548-36517-5 (Ullstein-Buch, 36517; Populäre Kultur)
  • Mathias O. C. Döpfner: Musikkritik in Deutschland nach 1945. Inhaltliche und formale Tendenzen; eine kritische Analyse. At the same time: Dissertation, Universität Frankfurt (Main), 1990. Frankfurt am Main; Bern; New York; Paris: Lang, 1991, ISBN 3-631-43158-9 (Europäische Hochschulschriften, Reihe 36, Musikwissenschaft vol. 59)
  • Brüssel. Das Insider-Lexikon. München: Beck, 1993, ISBN 3-406-37397-6 (Beck'sche Reihe; 1007)
  • Axel Springer. Neue Blicke auf den Verleger; eine Edition aktueller Autorenbeiträge und eigener Texte. Editor: Mathias Döpfner. Hamburg: Springer, 2005, ISBN 3-9809879-9-X
  • Reform statt Subvention – Warum wir verlässliche gesetzliche Maßstäbe für Fusionsvorhaben und Schutz kreativer Leistungen brauchen, in: Krautscheid/Schwartmann (editors), Fesseln für die Vielfalt? Das Medienkonzentrationsrecht auf dem Prüfstand, C.F Müller Verlag, Heidelberg 2010
  • Die Verlage sind im digitalen Zeitalter stärker, als sie selbst denken. In: Hubert Burda, Mathias Döpfner, Bodo Hombach, Jürgen Rüttgers (editors): 2020 – Gedanken zur Zukunft des Internets. Klartext, Essen, 2010, S. 177–182. ISBN 978-3-8375-0376-0.
  • How German is it? print of the speech at Thomas Demand's exhibition „Nationalgalerie“, Suhrkamp 2010
  • Die Freiheitsfalle – Ein Bericht. Berlin: Propyläen, 2011, 256 pages, ISBN 978-3-5490-7372-8
  • Anselm Kiefer/Mathias Döpfner, Kunst und Leben, Mythen und Tod. Ein Streitgespräch, Quadriga Verlag, 2012
  • Leser- und Kundenorientierung in einer digitalisierten Medienwelt – Eine Zwischenbilanz, in: Stadler/Brenner/Hermann (editors), Erfolg im digitalen Zeitalter, Frankfurter Allgemeine Buch Verlag, 2012
  • Essay „Laughter is anti-authoritarian, laughter is freedom“, 12 January 2015
  • Die Welt gehört denen, die neu denken. In: Kardinaltugenden effektiver Führung. Drucker, Peter F. (editor), München: Redline Verlag, 2014. ISBN 978-3-86881-396-8
  • „Berlin ist das Herz Europas, ich kenne kein anderes.“: Axel Springer und seine Stadt. Berlin: Edition Braus. ISBN 978-3-86228-135-0.
  • Abschied vom Pessimismus. In: Die Idee des Mediums – Reden zur Zukunft des Journalismus / Bernhard Pörksen ; Andreas Narr (editor), von Halem 2015. ISBN 978-3-86962-146-3

References

  1. ^ "Schenkung an Medienmanager: Springer macht Döpfner zum Milliardär". tagesschau.de (in German). 24 September 2020. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  2. ^ "HfG Offenbach". Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Mathias Döpfner darf Doktortitel behalten – trotz wissenschaftlichen Fehlverhaltens". Der Spiegel (in German). 20 January 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b "'Aber das ist dennoch die einzige Chance, um den endgültigen Niedergang des Landes zu vermeiden'". Die Zeit (in German). 13 April 2023.
  5. ^ Klaus Lauer and Douglas Busvine (24 September 2018), Axel Springer heiress anoints CEO Doepfner to succeed her at German publisher Reuters.
  6. ^ "Freedom and the Digital Revolution: the freedom trap – CRASSH". Archived from the original on 6 September 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  7. ^ NoahAdvisors (21 June 2015). "Dr. Mathias Döpfner, Axel Springer – NOAH15 Berlin". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2016 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ "Mathias Döpfner: "Viele Journalisten klingen heute wie Anzeigenverkäufer"". 5 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  9. ^ Döpfner, Mathias (17 April 2014). "An open letter to Eric Schmidt: Why we fear Google". FAZ.NET. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  10. ^ Solidarität mit Jan Böhmermann!, Die Welt, in German
  11. ^ "Huffington Post". 10 May 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016 – via huffingtonpost.com.
  12. ^ A German court ruled in favor of an airline that refused to fly an Israeli passenger — and there isn't enough outrage Archived 8 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Business Insider
  13. ^ "Axel Springer is going all in on America". The Economist. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  14. ^ Mathias Döpfner – Verleger mit Fimmel – Eine Analyse Spiegel, 21. October 2021
  15. ^ Ben Smith: At Axel Springer, Politico's New Owner, Allegations of Sex, Lies and a Secret Payment 21. October 2021
  16. ^ "Keinesfalls laut sagen", Der New York Times – Journalist Ben Smith über jene Recherchen, die den Bild – Chefredakteur den Job kosteten, ZEIT-online, 21. October 2021
  17. ^ Mathias Döpfner: Es gibt dieses Kulturproblem bei „Bild“ nicht im ganzen Springer-Verlag Archived 21 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine Deutschlandradio, 21. October 2021
  18. ^ Sarah Ellison (6 September 2022). ""Politico's new German owner has a 'contrarian' plan for American media"". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 6 September 2022.
  19. ^ Oltermann, Philip (13 April 2023). "'I'm all for climate change': Axel Springer CEO faces heat over leaked messages". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  20. ^ Todd Spangler (18 September 2018), Netflix Adds Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner to Board Variety.
  21. ^ Warner Music
  22. ^ Board of Trustees American Academy in Berlin
  23. ^ Board of Trustees Archived 20 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft of Deutsche Bank.
  24. ^ Board of Trustees Axel Springer Prize.
  25. ^ Members Friends of the Academy of the Arts.
  26. ^ https://www.bilderbergmeetings.org/background/steering-committee/steering-committee Bilderberg Meetings.
  27. ^ Presidium Federation of German Newspaper Publishers (BDZV).
  28. ^ Board Archived 15 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine Frank Schirrmacher Foundation.
  29. ^ International Advisory Board Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.
  30. ^ Board of Trustees (2019–2022) Archived 3 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine International Journalists’ Programmes (IJP).
  31. ^ International Council Museum Berggruen.
  32. ^ Members Friends of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg.
  33. ^ Board of Trustees Robert Koch Foundation.
  34. ^ "Politico's new German owner has a 'contrarian' plan for American media". The Washington Post.
  35. ^ "(m+) die Entzauberung". 17 March 2016.
  36. ^ "Non-Jewish journalist wins prize from German Jews for defending Israel". Times of Israel. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  37. ^ "German journalist to be awarded prize for combating antisemitism". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  38. ^ "Jewish Journal". 22 June 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  39. ^ "talks.cam: The Transformation of the Media Business". Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  40. ^ "AICGS Providing Knowledge, Insights, and Networks for the Future". Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  41. ^ "Jerusalem-Preis 2008 an Mathias Döpfner". Hamburger Morgenpost. 11 April 2008. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  42. ^ LBI News. Leo Baeck Institute. 2004.
  43. ^ "Top 50 Medienköpfe 2007 Mathias Döpfner gewinnt kress-Leserwahl". kress.de. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  44. ^ "Axel-Springer-Preis – Axel Springer Akademie". Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
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