Representation of the Bertelsmann network
(is incomplete)
(is incomplete)
133
Connections
124
Actors
Bertelsmann network
Connections
Alena Buyx
Board of Trustees
Bertelsmann Stiftung
As of September 1, 2024, Alena Buyx was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Bertelsmann Foundation.
Reinhard Mohn
grandson
Thomas Coesfeld
Thomas Coesfeld is the grandson of Reinhard Mohn. His mother is a daughter from Reinhard Mohn's first marriage to Magdalene Raßfeld.
Reinhard Mohn
couple
Liz Mohn
Liz Mohn and Reinhard Mohn met at the Bertelsmann company, where Liz Mohn worked for the Club Bertelsmann (book club).
Liz Mohn was 17 years old when the two started dating.
Reinhard Mohn was married to Magdalene Raßfeld (1923–2021) during this time. To avoid a scandal, she married Joachim Scholz, an editor of children's books at Bertelsmann, in 1963 in a marriage of convenience, which ended in divorce in 1978 and was not mentioned in her autobiography. Reinhard Mohn's first marriage ended in divorce in 1982, and Liz and Reinhard Mohn married in the same year.
Liz Mohn was 17 years old when the two started dating.
Reinhard Mohn was married to Magdalene Raßfeld (1923–2021) during this time. To avoid a scandal, she married Joachim Scholz, an editor of children's books at Bertelsmann, in 1963 in a marriage of convenience, which ended in divorce in 1978 and was not mentioned in her autobiography. Reinhard Mohn's first marriage ended in divorce in 1982, and Liz and Reinhard Mohn married in the same year.
Christoph Mohn
Chairman of the Supervisory Board
Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA
Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA: In this role, he heads the control committee of the operational media and services group (which includes the 7 pillars such as RTL, Penguin Random House, etc.). The supervisory board controls the board of directors around Thomas Rabe.
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Liz Mohn
has veto power
Bertelsmann Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH
After Reinhard Mohn's death in 2009, Liz Mohn succeeded him. Among other things, he gave her veto rights in the Bertelsmann management company.
When Liz Mohn reached the age limit of 80 in 2021, she handed over the chairmanship of the Steering Committee of Bertelsmann Verwaltungsgesellschaft to Christoph Mohn.
Christoph Mohn
Chairman of the shareholders\' meeting
Bertelsmann Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH
Since June 2021, Christoph Mohn has been family spokesman and chairman of the steering committee of Bertelsmann Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH.
Club Bertelsmann
worked at
Liz Mohn
After elementary school, Liz Mohn initially accepted an apprenticeship as a dental assistant. She later applied to Bertelsmann as a telephone operator and from then on worked for the book club.
Arvato Health Analytics GmbH
Forum partner
Gesundheitsforen Leipzig GmbH
Forum partner [Stand 10.2024]
Thomas Rabe (Manager)
Chairman of the Board
Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA
Rabe has been CEO of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA since January 2012.
Penguin Random House
Wholly-owned subsidiary
Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA
Penguin Random House is a wholly owned subsidiary of the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA. Through this affiliation, Bertelsmann controls the world's largest trade publishing group.
Full acquisition in 2020
Jörg Dräger
Seat on the board (until the end of 2021)
Bertelsmann Stiftung
Jörg Dräger was a member of the Bertelsmann Foundation board until the end of 2021, where he was responsible for education, integration and digitalization.
Reinhard Mohn
founder
Bertelsmann Stiftung
In 1977, Reinhard Mohn founded the non-profit Bertelsmann Foundation, which is now one of the largest foundations in Germany.
Bertelsmann Stiftung
Liz Mohn
After Reinhard Mohn's death in 2009, Liz Mohn succeeded him. Liz Mohn largely received the founder's rights in the Bertelsmann Foundation.
Brigitte Mohn
Chairman
Bertelsmann Stiftung
After Mohn had been responsible for medicine on the Bertelsmann Foundation's management board since 2002, she moved up to the board at the beginning of 2005. There she is now responsible for the health, sustainable communities, digitalization and public welfare programs. She took over as CEO on August 1, 2025.
Daniela Schwarzer
Member of the board
Bertelsmann Stiftung
Daniela Carolin Schwarzer has been a member of the Bertelsmann Foundation Board of Directors since 2023.
BBR Music Group
Takeover 2017
BMG Rights Management
In 2017, BMG announced the purchase of the BBR Music Group, including the Labels Broken Bow Records, Red Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records, Wheelhouse Records and the Music publishing house Magic Mustang Music. With a volume of more than $ 100 million, the largest recordings in the company history were.
Telamo
Takeover 2022
BMG Rights Management
In August 2022, BMG Rights Management took over the largest German hit music label Telamo.
DDV Mediengruppe
60%tocher society
Gruner + Jahr
On August 6, 2021, RTL Germany announced the purchase of Gruner + Jahr for 230 million euros (purchase price without debt). The company participations from Gruner+Jahr am Spiegel-Verlag, at the DDV media group, on Territory and the Applike Group, however, hiked under the roof of Bertelsmann.
Rudolf Augstein GmbH
Proportions
Gruner + Jahr
Gruner+Jahr holds 25.5% of the shares in Rudolf Augstein GmbH
Penguin Random House
Merger 2013
Penguin Books
The Penguin Random House publishing group was formed in 2013 through the merger of the book publishers Random House (which was already part of Bertelsmann at the time) and the Penguin Group (which was then owned by the British Pearson Group). Bertelsmann initially held a majority stake of 53 percent.
Thomas Rabe (Manager)
CFO
RTL Group
In 2000, Rabe moved to RTL Group as CFO. There he was responsible for strategy and the Luxembourg television and radio business.
Rudolf Augstein GmbH
Proportions
Spiegel-Mitarbeiter KG
Spiegel employee KG is involved in Rudolf Augstein GmbH with 50.5 percent.
Sky Deutschland
Takeover 2026
RTL Deutschland
At the end of June 2025, it was surprisingly announced that Sky Deutschland would be purchased by RTL Deutschland for 150 million euros plus a variable component, which could be up to 377 million euros in the next few years depending on the price development of the RTL share, provided the antitrust authorities agreed to this. In April 2026, the European Commission approved the takeover without conditions. The transaction is now expected to close on June 1, 2026.
Sky Österreich
Subsidiary
Sky Deutschland
Sky Österreich Fernsehen GmbH, headquartered in Vienna, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the German company Sky Deutschland GmbH.
Sky Switzerland has been owned by Sky Deutschland GmbH since April 2017.