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Bertelsmann

Bertelsmann enters second joint music venture

July 8, 2009

Bertelsmann, the Mohn family-owned international media company, has announced plans for a new joint venture with private equity fund KKR & Co.

Music stops for Bertelsmann-Sony joint venture

October 2, 2008

Bertelsmann, the Mohn family-owned international media company, has finally cut its ties with Sony BMG, the ill-fated joint venture it signed with the Sony Corporation to create the world’s second largest recording company.

Bertelsmann, the Mohn family-owned international media company, has finally cut its ties with Sony BMG, the ill-fated joint venture signed with the Sony Corporation to create the world's second largest recording company.

Bertelsmann's sale of its 50% stake in Sony BMG back to Sony has now cleared all antitrust hurdles and the undisclosed purchase price has changed hands.

The divestiture signals Bertelsmann's withdrawal from the recorded music business and its move into music rights management under its BMG Rights Management subsidiary.

The past revisited – the Quandt’s life on film

November 2, 2007

A film about the Quandt family has highlighted an issue that has affected some German family businesses through the decades – a history of Nazi involvement. William Boston looks at how and why these businesses are held accountable for the actions of their forefathers

William Boston is a freelance journalist based in Germany.

The cost of control

July 1, 2006

Going public was not an option for Bertelsmann’s Mohn family. In the nick of time the family managed to hold onto control of their media powerhouse. Melanie Stern reports on Bertelsmann’s buyback and what could have been Germany’s biggest IPO

Melanie Stern is section editor of Families in Business.

Going public was not an option for Bertelsmann's Mohn family. In the nick of time the family managed to hold onto control of their media powerhouse. Melanie Stern reports on Bertelsmann's buyback and what could have been Germany's biggest IPO

Go on – make a difference...

January 1, 2006

You have achieved economic success, and have all the necessary means to enjoy life to the full. But perhaps this is only one small indicia of a successful life. Frederick Metz Shepperd explains how you can contribute to society and create a true legacy

Frederick Metz Shepperd is managing director of the Quadral Group, a consulting firm with offices in Europe and North America. www.quadralgroup.com

For a few dollars more: Europe’s ten most generous family foundations

March 1, 2005

Google the word philanthropy and the word ‘stiftung’ – or ‘foundation’ in German – comes up many times over. Many eminent philanthropy experts are based there, and many global philanthropic projects lead back to German foundations; so it seems clear Germany is probably Europe’s leader in family philanthropy.

Google the word philanthropy and the word 'stiftung' – or 'foundation' in German – comes up many times over. Many eminent philanthropy experts are based there, and many global philanthropic projects lead back to German foundations; so it seems clear Germany is probably Europe's leader in family philanthropy. Even though the country is faced with its highest unemployment rates since World War II, Germany continues to make a sizeable contribution to European and global philanthropy, fuelled by families selling their companies and realising their wealth.