> **Axel Springer SE** (German pronunciation: [ˈaksl̩ ˈʃprɪŋɐ ɛsˈeː]) is a European multinational 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 total revenues of about €3.3 billion and an EBITDA of €559 million in the financial year 2015. The digital media activities contribute more than 60% to its revenues and nearly 70% to its EBITDA. Axel Springer's business is divided into three segments: paid models, marketing models, and classified ad models. Since 2020, it is majority-owned by the US private equity firm KKR. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, the company is active in more than 40 countries, including subsidiaries, joint ventures, and licensing. > > > It was started in 1946/1947 by journalist Axel Springer. Its current CEO is [[Index 📚/Person/Mathias Döpfner]]. The Axel Springer company is the largest publishing house in Europe and controls the largest share of the German market for daily newspapers; 23.6%, largely because its flagship tabloid [[Bild]] is the highest-circulation newspaper in Europe with a daily readership exceeding 12 million. Upon its acquisition of [[Politico]] and Business Insider, Axel Springer announced that all employees must support a free market economy, a united Europe, and Israel's right to exist. > > [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axel%20Springer%20SE)