Mathias Döpfner
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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 Axel Springer SE () is a German digital and popular periodical publishing house which is the largest in Europe, with numerous multimedia news brands, such as '' Bild'', ''Die Welt'', and '' Fakt'' and more than 15,000 employees. It generated t ...
, and president of the Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers (BDZV).


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. Döpfner studied musicology, German literature and theater science in Frankfurt and Boston.


Career

Döpfner began his career in 1982 as the music critic of the ''
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung The ''Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung'' (; ''FAZ''; "''Frankfurt General Newspaper''") is a centre-right conservative-liberal and liberal-conservativeHans Magnus Enzensberger: Alter Wein in neuen Schläuchen' (in German). ''Deutschland Radio'', ...
'' supplement. After working as the FAZ correspondent in Brussels, Döpfner moved to
Gruner + Jahr Gruner may refer to: People * Dov Gruner (1912–1947), Jewish Zionist leader * Eduard Gruner, Swiss engineer * Elioth Gruner (1882–1939), Australian painter * Gottlieb Sigmund Gruner (1717–1778), Swiss cartographer and geologist * K ...
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 The ''Hamburger Morgenpost'' (Hamburg Morning Post) (also known as Mopo) is a daily German newspaper published in Hamburg in tabloid format. As of 2006 the ''Hamburger Morgenpost'' was the second-largest newspaper in Hamburg after '' Bild Zeitu ...
''. In March 1998, Döpfner became editor-in-chief of
Axel Springer SE Axel Springer SE () is a German digital and popular periodical publishing house which is the largest in Europe, with numerous multimedia news brands, such as '' Bild'', ''Die Welt'', and '' Fakt'' and more than 15,000 employees. It generated t ...
's national daily newspaper ''
Die Welt ''Die Welt'' ("The World") is a German national daily newspaper, published as a broadsheet by Axel Springer SE. ''Die Welt'' is the flagship newspaper of the Axel Springer publishing group. Its leading competitors are the ''Frankfurter All ...
''. 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 Friede Springer (born Friede Riewerts on 15 August 1942 in Oldsum on the island of Föhr) is a German publisher and widow of Axel Springer. She is the main owner of the Axel Springer SE media conglomerate, and thus of Europe's largest newspaper ' ...
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.


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 Helmut Josef Michael Kohl (; 3 April 1930 – 16 June 2017) was a German politician who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1973 to 1998. Kohl's 16-year tenure is the longes ...
, 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 as well as in his book "Die Freiheitsfalle – The freedom trap" published by
Propyläen Verlag The ''Ullstein Verlag'' was founded by Leopold Ullstein in 1877 at Berlin and is one of the largest publishing companies of Germany. It published newspapers like '' B.Z.'' and '' Berliner Morgenpost'' and books through its subsidiaries ''Ullstein ...
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 or at the SPIEGEL Publishers Forum, 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, thus triggering a public debate. In April 2016, Döpfner showed solidarity with German satirist
Jan Böhmermann Jan Böhmermann () (born 23 February 1981) is a German satirist, journalist, and podcast and television host. He also worked as a writer, producer, radio host, and is best known for his activism through publicity stunts. Early life and educati ...
in an open letter. 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. In November 2017, Döpfner condemned
Kuwait Airlines Kuwait Airways ( ar, الخطوط الجوية الكويتية, ) is the national carrier of Kuwait, with its head office on the grounds of Kuwait International Airport, Al Farwaniyah Governorate. It operates scheduled international services thr ...
for barring an Israeli passenger from a flight.


SMS with a statement regarding the Federal Republic of Germany

In the course of the compliance procedure around Julian Reichelt, Döpfner sent a text message to a writer in March 2021, which referred to the Federal Republic of Germany as a "new, authoritarian GDR-State". ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' 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 into line with that in Germany, where it is viewed in a way similar to how
Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
is viewed in the US. 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.


Other activities

In 2010, Döpfner was visiting professor in media at the
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
and became a member of St John's College. In addition, he holds a variety of paid and unpaid positions.


Corporate boards

*
eMarketer eMarketer is a subscription-based market research company that provides insights and trends related to digital marketing, media, and commerce. History eMarketer was founded in 1996, and is headquartered in New York City. 93 percent of the co ...
, Member of the Board of Directors (since 2016) *
Insider Inc. Insider Inc. (formerly Business Insider Inc.) is an American online media company known for publishing the financial news website ''Insider'' (formerly ''Business Insider'') and other news and media websites. It is a subsidiary of the German pub ...
, Member of the Board of Directors *
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
, Member of the Board of Directors (since 2018) * Ringier Axel Springer Schweiz, Member of the Board of Directors (since 2016) *
Warner Music Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and th ...
, Member of the Board of Directors (since 2014)


Non-profit organizations

*
American Academy in Berlin The American Academy in Berlin is a private, independent, nonpartisan research and cultural institution in Berlin dedicated to sustaining and enhancing the long-term intellectual, cultural, and political ties between the United States and Germany ...
, Member of the Board of Trustees * Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft of
Deutsche Bank Deutsche Bank AG (), sometimes referred to simply as Deutsche, is a German multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and dual-listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York Sto ...
, Member of the Board of Trustees * Axel Springer Prize, Chairman of the Board of Trustees * Friends of the Academy of the Arts, Member * Bilderberg Meetings, Member of Steering Committee * European Publishers Council, Member * Federation of German Newspaper Publishers (BDZV), President (since 2016) * Frank Schirrmacher Foundation, Member of the Board *
Blavatnik School of Government The Blavatnik School of Government is a school of public policy founded in 2010 at the University of Oxford in England. The School was founded following a £75 million donation from a business magnate Leonard Blavatnik, supported by £26 million ...
,
University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...
, Member of the International Advisory Board (since 2010) * International Journalists’ Programmes (IJP), Member of the Board of Trustees * Museum Berggruen, Member of the International Council * Friends of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg, Member * Robert Koch Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees


Personal life

Döpfner is married to Ulrike Weiss, the daughter of Ulrich Weiss, a former management board member of
Deutsche Bank AG Deutsche Bank AG (), sometimes referred to simply as Deutsche, is a German multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and dual-listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York Stoc ...
. They have three sons. One of his sons works as the chief of staff to
Peter Thiel Peter Andreas Thiel (; born 11 October 1967) is a German-American billionaire entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist. A co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund, he was the first outside investor in F ...
. He has another son (born 2016) from a relationship with fellow billionaire
Julia Stoschek Julia Stoschek (born 1975) is a German socialite and art collector. Career Julia Stoschek was born in 1975, the daughter of Michael Stoschek, the German billionaire businessman and chairman of Brose Fahrzeugteile. Stoschek first began buyi ...
.


Recognition

* 2019 Leo Baeck Prize of the
Central Council of Jews in Germany The Central Council of Jews in Germany (German name: Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland) is a federation of German Jews. It was founded on 19 July 1950, as a response to the increasing isolation of German Jews by the international Jewish communi ...
* 2019 Janus Korczak Prize for Humanism * 2016 Arno Lustiger Prize * 2015 McCloy Award of the American Council on Germany * 2014 Anti-Defamation League (ADL) International Leadership Award, New York City * 2014
Shepard Stone Shepard Stone (March 31, 1908 – May 4, 1990) was an American journalist and foundation administrator. Stone joined the ''New York Times'' in 1933, but in 1942 joined the U.S. army and was active in wartime intelligence work. He served in Mi ...
-Award, Aspen Berlin * 2014 Europe Award of Merit des U.O.B.B. * 2013 European Manager of the Year, European Business Press Association * 2012 Kress Head of the Year * 2012 Strategist of the Year, ''Financial Times Germany'' * 2011 German Media Award: Media Person of the Year * 2010 Humanitas Visiting Professor in Media 2010 at the
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
; Member of St. John's College, Cambridge * 2008 Leadership Award, Global American Institute for Contemporary German Studies New York * 2008 Jerusalem Prize of the
Zionist Organization The World Zionist Organization ( he, הַהִסְתַּדְּרוּת הַצִּיּוֹנִית הָעוֹלָמִית; ''HaHistadrut HaTzionit Ha'Olamit''), or WZO, is a non-governmental organization that promotes Zionism. It was founded as the ...
in Germany * 2007 Leo Baeck Medal of the
Leo Baeck Institute The Leo Baeck Institute, established in 1955, is an international research institute with centres in New York City, London, and Jerusalem that are devoted to the study of the history and culture of German-speaking Jewry. Baeck was its first intern ...
New York * 2007 1st place in Kress report in the category: "Top 50 media heads – the most important managers from media and communication" * 2007 Honorary
Order of Merit of Berlin The Order of Merit of Berlin (german: Verdienstorden des Landes Berlin) is this highest award of the German State of Berlin. Awarded in the name of the Senate of Berlin, the order had recognized outstanding contributions to the State of Berlin sin ...
* 2000 Appointed Young Global Leader of the
World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
* 1991 Axel-Springer-Preis for Young Journalists


Works

*Mathias O. C. Döpfner, Thomas Garms: ''Neue Deutsche Welle. Kunst oder Mode?'' Frankfurt am Main; Berlin; Wien: Ullstein, 1984, (Ullstein-Buch, 36505; Populäre Kultur) *Mathias O. C. Döpfner, Thomas Garms: ''Erotik in der Musik.'' Frankfurt/Main; Berlin: Ullstein, 1986, (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, (Europäische Hochschulschriften, Reihe 36, Musikwissenschaft vol. 59) *Brüssel. ''Das Insider-Lexikon.'' München: Beck, 1993, (Beck'sche Reihe; 1007) *Axel Springer. ''Neue Blicke auf den Verleger; eine Edition aktueller Autorenbeiträge und eigener Texte''. Editor: Mathias Döpfner. Hamburg: Springer, 2005, *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. . * ''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, * 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 * Essa
„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. * ''„Berlin ist das Herz Europas, ich kenne kein anderes.“: Axel Springer und seine Stadt.'' Berlin: Edition Braus. . * ''Abschied vom Pessimismus. In: Die Idee des Mediums – Reden zur Zukunft des Journalismus'' / Bernhard Pörksen ; Andreas Narr (editor), von Halem 2015.


References


External links


Mathias Döpfner on the Charlie Rose Show
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dopfner, Mathias Living people 1963 births German male journalists German journalists German newspaper journalists 20th-century German journalists 21st-century German journalists German male writers Recipients of the Order of Merit of Berlin Axel Springer SE Die Welt editors Warner Bros. Discovery people Netflix people Hamburger Morgenpost editors