Telegraph’s £575m takeover by German group completed
Acquisition by Axel Springer ends three years of uncertainty over ownership of 171-year-old titles
April 2026
Revealed: Axel Springer skipped due diligence before £575m Telegraph takeover
Sources say German group may struggle to recoup its investment as titles shift to less profitable models
Telegraph takeover by German buyer cleared by culture secretary
Lisa Nandy says there are no grounds to refer Axel Springer deal to Ofcom, ending almost three years of uncertainty for titles
‘A full-on embrace’: how the EU’s largest news publisher fell in love with the US
Mathias Döpfner, ‘guru-like’ CEO of Axel Springer, wants to expand – but critics say his stated values sometimes don’t line up with what appears in his titles
March 2026
‘No one saw this coming’: will the surprise Telegraph winner change the paper’s direction?
Will the Telegraph’s new owner curb its wilder excesses – or make them worse?
Jane Martinson
German twist in the Telegraph tale shatters Lord Rothermere’s dreams
Telegraph sold for £575m as German buyer elbows out Daily Mail
February 2026
US news site Politico to launch in Australia, aiming to bring policy focus and ‘new angles’ to Canberra
Australian journalist Ryan Heath, who will lead expansion, says focus will be on journalism that ‘connects the dots globally’
Telegraph suitor considers legal action against UK government over rival bid
Exclusive: Figures led by New York Sun owner may seek judicial review after restrictions lifted on DMGT offer
Politico owner Axel Springer joins rival Telegraph bid led by Dovid Efune
Sale to Lord Rothermere, Daily Mail owner, referred to regulators on media plurality and competition grounds
September 2024
Axel Springer’s media assets to be split off in €13.5bn KKR deal
Private equity group to control classified business while Mathias Döpfner and Friede Springer will run digital operation
February 2024
Google sued for $2.3bn by European media groups over digital ad losses
Lawsuit filed by publishers including Axel Springer allege Google ‘abused its dominant position’ in digital ad-tech
December 2023
ChatGPT to summarize Politico and Business Insider articles in ‘first of its kind’ deal
OpenAI to pay German media group Axel Springer to use its material, including stories behind paywalls
October 2023
Axel Springer’s Telegraph bid in doubt over ‘digital-only’ future
Head of German-based group tells Politico podcast its strategy is to grow its digital media
Telegraph auction poses litmus test for value of newspapers in digital age
While falling sales suggest the demise of print, the industry has proved adaptable and remains attractive to media barons
Bild publisher Axel Springer eyes Telegraph auction
German company registers interest with Goldman Sachs ahead of Telegraph Media Group auction
June 2023
German tabloid Bild cuts 200 jobs and says some roles will be replaced by AI
Publisher Axel Springer announces reorganisation of regional business and outlines plans for digital future
April 2023
‘I’m all for climate change’: Axel Springer CEO faces heat over leaked messages
Mathias Döpfner’s reported comments on climate, Muslims and east Germany – and his apparent political manoeuvring – create shock waves
February 2023
German publisher Axel Springer says journalists could be replaced by AI
Owner of Politico urges focus on investigative journalism and original commentary, as company prepares for job cuts at German papers Die Welt and Bild
