“The ossis are either communists or fascists. In between they don’t. Disgusting,” Döpfner wrote in full according to “Zeit” research. “The ossis will never become democrats. Perhaps the former GDR should be turned into an agricultural and production zone with a standard wage.”
According to its own statements, the “Zeit” has news from the past few years from the closest management circle. Döpfner left the report uncommented. From Springer circles it was only said that the article consisted of “manipulative SMS shreds”. Döpfner is a publishing boss with strong opinions, who as a matter of principle always challenges opposing opinions and contradictions and repeatedly polemicizes in return. The publisher also commented on earlier controversial statements by the boss in a similar way.
Döpfner’s quotes were made public at a time when there was already massive unrest at Springer. Döpfner had announced job cuts, the extent of which is not yet known. Insiders report that around 20 percent of the jobs are to be cut in the editorial offices alone.
The “Zeit” research now paints a picture of a CEO who despises the elite, who wants to use his media to make politics – and who runs his company with a small clique of confidants.
During the pandemic, Döpfner defended the then acting editor-in-chief of “Bild”, Julian Reichelt, in a private message as the “last and only journalist in Germany who is still bravely rebelling against the new GDR authoritarian state”. The news was later published by the New York Times.
Döpfner dismissed his choice of words as “deliberate exaggeration”. But the news that has become public shows how much he has mixed political, journalistic and sometimes private.
Axel-Springer-Verlag: Boss Mathias Döpfner wanted to push the FDP through “Bild”.
Dopfner, 60, has a net worth of around $1.2 billion, according to Forbes. He trims Springer-Verlag for digitization and internationalization. He took over the business portal Business Insider, strengthened himself in the USA with the Politico offer and intends to no longer offer printed newspapers in this country in the medium term. After Friede Springer, the publisher and widow of Axel Springer, had bequeathed him shares and voting rights, Döpfner is considered the undisputed ruler at Springer.
As such, he apparently also tried to influence the recent federal elections through the “Bild” newspaper. According to “Zeit”, he is said to have written verbatim at the beginning of August 2021: “Our last hope is the FDP. The green-red disaster can only be avoided if it becomes very strong – and that can happen. Can’t we do more for them? The only ones that are positioned as a consequence against the madness of the corona measures.”
The former Bild editor-in-chief is considered a confidante of Döpfner. According to the chats, the publishing boss also interfered in the editorial line of the tabloid.
(Photo: imago images/Jörg Schüler)
Six weeks before the election, he became even clearer: “Can you do more for the FPD? They should get at least 16 percent.” Two days before voting, Döpfner wrote to Reichelt: “Please strengthen the FDP. If they are very strong, they can be so authoritarian in traffic lights that they burst. And then Jamaica works.”
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The chat messages show other facets of Döpfner’s sometimes alternative interpretation of world events and a sometimes radical perspective: At the end of March 2020, he described Covid as “flu”, which was only “dangerous for the old and sick”. The state protective measures are the “end of the market economy,” feared Döpfner. “And the beginning of 33”, which could be understood as a reference to Adolf Hitler’s seizure of power in 1933.
Döpfner criticizes Merkel’s migration policy and corona measures in chats
He also bases his criticism of the former chancellor on the pandemic policy. He apparently thinks Merkel is crazy or dangerous. Döpfner instructed two experienced investigative reporters to find out whether the chancellor had spied for the Stasi or the KGB during the GDR era. But the research on the “big thing”, as Döpfner says, ended in nothing.
According to the chats, the Springer boss also shot against Merkel when the FDP state politician Thomas Kemmerich was elected Prime Minister of Thuringia in 2020 with votes from the AfD. This was publicly described as breaking a taboo, Merkel joined the criticism – Kemmerich resigned after just one day. “M,” said Döpfner, referring to the then chancellor, had lost his mind. It is a “nail in the coffin of democracy”.
According to research, the newspaper was stopped for agenda setting.
(Photo: IMAGO/Michael Gstettenbauer)
According to the chats, Döpfner is also an opponent of Merkel’s migration policy: Anyone who “opens the doors will reap racism”. Döpfner is said to have written: “free west, fuck the intolerant muslims and all that other sex”. According to the news, also on his list of enemies: renewable energies. If there’s one thing he hates, it’s wind turbines, he wrote in 2017.
Just like Döpfner’s news, the “Bild” newspaper recently appeared in a journalistic capacity: it wrote critically about Merkel and foreigners, sometimes questioned climate change and criticized the corona measures, which were perceived as too strict.
Axel-Springer-Verlag: New trouble with Reichelt?
Some executives were shocked by the choice of words by their CEO and the crude statements, some of which were reminiscent of conspiracy theories, to the Handelsblatt. A manager also described this statement by Döpfner as striking: “My compass goes like this: human rights – no compromises. Rule of law – zero tolerance and everything for pure teaching. Lifestyle (( as far as fucking and things like that are concerned – Fritz zwo: everyone should be according to his style (or facon)…))”.
Apparently this is an allusion to Friedrich II, from whom the sentence has been handed down that everyone should be happy according to their own style. Insiders say that Reichelt could have taken such statements as a free ride. Several ex-colleagues have raised massive allegations of abuse of power against him. Döpfner only released Reichelt after a major public uproar in October 2021.
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Afterwards, Döpfner is said to have written to him: “Professionally, you deceived me and caused me damage like no one else. Personally and in terms of our shared world view, I still feel very connected to you.”
According to insiders, this sentence shows that Döpfner still mourns the fired “Bild” editor-in-chief, despite the damage to his image. This attitude is also the reason why the much-vaunted culture change in the Springer Group is only progressing slowly. Reichelt and Döpfner were considered first-name friends and are said to have often shared the same opinion.
Springer is considering taking action against Reichelt
Meanwhile, it could be more than a coincidence that the news magazine “Spiegel” reported on Wednesday that Springer was considering taking legal action against Reichelt. At this point, Springer should have known about the “Zeit” research.
According to “Spiegel” information, Springer considers it possible that Reichelt took documents and internal information from his time as “Bild” boss or did not delete it and is now using it to his own advantage. Officially, neither the Springer Group nor Reichelt wanted to comment on this.
How clear the major investors are about Döpfner’s internal behavior has not yet been handed down. KKR partner Philipp Freise described Döpfner as a “great CEO” in a podcast published on Wednesday and recorded in March. They support his work 100 percent. On request, KKR did not want to comment on whether he would repeat this statement after Thursday’s time report.
Note on transparency: DvH Medien GmbH, the sole shareholder of the Handelsblatt Media Group, holds an entrepreneurial 50 percent stake in Zeit-Verlag (“The time”).
More: The entire editor-in-chief of “Bild” has to go.