Meet The New Boss

Thomas Leyson, chairman of Madiahaus which has purchased Denis O’Brien and Dermot Desmond’s shareholdings in Independent News and media

Taking control of Ireland’s biggest media group…

Who is he?

The Belgian-Dutch company has only existed since 2013, but has deep roots in the countries’ newspaper industries. Mediahuis chairman, Thomas Leysen, is one of Belgium’s best-known businessmen, from a family of entrepreneurs and industrialists in sectors such as maritime, industrial cleaning and media.

The 58-year-old is also chairman of KBC Bank, one of Belgium’s biggest, and on the steering committee of the international Bilderberg group of corporate and government leaders. He is also a Member at European Round Table of Industrialists,at The Trilateral Commission…

Lizards, dude.

Mediahaus Exapads Beyond Core Dutch Market (FT)

Meanwhile…

Eoin writes:

Plenty of column inches about the acquisition by Mediahuis (a name that will have been unfamiliar to 99% of Irish journos before yesterday morning) of INM.

No word on how Mediahuis is financing the deal.

No word on the approval process for the acquisition, but Richard Bruton will have a role.

Little analysis on why Mediahuis is buying a pig in a poke with all the potential for litigation against INM by thousands of people whose data was hacked.

Little mention about the chairman of Mediahuis being the chairman of KBC, the bank behind a string of controversial evictions in Ireland and which still has a problematic loanbook to resolve

Little analysis of the value of INM, with €25m current annual profit, €80m of cash in its balance sheet, is €146m a good price?

Anyone?

Yesterday: Dexit

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