Bertelsmann is a German conglomerate which oversees one of the largest media empires in the world. Headquartered in Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bertelsmann operates in more than 50 countries around the globe. Some of its best-known media subsidiaries include book publisher Penguin Random House, and the music company BMG. Bertelsmann employs approximately 117,000 people through its combined operations. In the fiscal year 2018, those operations collectively generated revenues of €17.7 billion. In 2016, Bertelsmann restructured into eight divisions consisting of the RTL Group (TV), Penguin Random House (book publishing), Gruner + Jahr (magazines), BMG (music rights), Arvato (services), Bertelsmann Education Group (education), Bertelsmann Printing Group (printing) and Bertelsmann Investments (finance). The company’s roots trace back to its founding in 1835 when Carl Bertelsmann started the small publishing house C. Bertelsmann Verlag. In the 1940s it was the main publisher for the Nazi regime. Post-war, entrepreneur Reinhard Mohn transformed Bertelsmann from a small German publisher into a major media giant. Today the Mohn family holds 19.1 per cent of the shares. The remain shares are divided up between three foundations – Bertelsmann Stiftung, Reinhard Mohn Stiftung and BVG Stiftung. According to a 2016 Business Insider ranking, Bertelsmann’s $10.04 billion in media revenues that year earned them the 6th spot on their list of largest media companies.
- Family name: Mohn family
- Sector: Media & Entertainment
- Founded: 1835
- Founder: Carl Bertelsmann
- Country: Germany
- Company headquarters: Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bertelsmann
- Revenue: 18.6
- Employees: 117249
- Website: bertelsmann.com
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