Shareholder Structure

Bertelsmann is a privately held stock corporation. The shareholders, the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Mohn Family own 77.4 percent and 22.6 percent of the capital shares, held via intermediate companies. The voting rights of Bertelsmann AG are controlled by the Bertelsmann Verwaltungsgesellschaft (BVG).

Mohn Family

The Bertelsmann / Mohn Family is the founding family of the company. The publisher C. Bertelsmann Verlag was founded by Carl Bertelsmann in 1835; Reinhard Mohn, in the fifth generation of the founding family, took over the management of the company in 1947. Under his leadership Bertelsmann developed from a medium-sized printing and publishing company into one of the largest internationally active media companies. Reinhard Mohn transferred a large part of his capital share in Bertelsmann AG to the Bertelsmann Stiftung in 1993. Today, the Mohn Family owns 22.6 percent of the capital shares in Bertelsmann AG.

Bertelsmann Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH (BVG)

BVG’s mandate is to ensure continuity in Bertelsmann AG’s development and to manage the shareholder interests of the non-profit Bertelsmann Foundation and of the Mohn family. BVG is committed to safeguarding, implementing and enhancing the corporate culture developed by Reinhard Mohn. BVG controls 100 percent of the voting rights in the annual general meeting of Bertelsmann AG, which it exercises for these purposes. The shareholders’ meeting of BVG decides on the exercise of BVG´s voting rights at the General Meeting of Bertelsmann AG.

Bertelsmann Stiftung

The Bertelsmann Stiftung is an independent, non-profit foundation which identifies social problem areas for which it develops and implements solutions. Its projects focus on education, economic and social affairs, health and international understanding. The Bertelsmann Stiftung was founded in 1977 by Reinhard Mohn, the former Chief Executive Officer and owner of the majority share of Bertelsmann AG, in order to continue the socio-political, cultural and social commitment of the founding family, Bertelsmann / Mohn, and to guarantee the continuity of Bertelsmann. Towards this purpose, Reinhard Mohn transferred a large part of the capital share in Bertelsmann AG to the Bertelsmann Stiftung in 1993.