The Resume

(May 2, 1912-September 22, 1985)
Born in Altona, Germany
Founded the publishing company Axel Springer AG (1946)
Notable newspapers include 'Bild' and 'Die Welt'
At its peak, Axel Springer AG controlled a 50% share of the German newspaper market

Why he might be annoying:

Like Rupert Murdoch, he was often accused of using his media empire to promote his conservative beliefs.
His papers refused to accept campaign ads from socialist politcal parties.
His papers' coverage of the Six Day War (1967) was so unabashedly biased in favor of Israel that he later joked that he had simply translated Israeli newspapers into German.
He was accused of inciting an assassination attempt against Rudi Dutschke through his papers' editorials denouncing student radicals (1968).
Investigative reporter Gunther Wallraff documented the fabrication of anti-union articles at 'Bild.' (1977)
He was married five times and divorced four times.
His last wife was three decades younger than him.

Why he might not be annoying:

He was avowedly anti-Communist and pro-America.
To show his support for German reunification, he built a 20-story headquarters next to the Berlin Wall with a neon sign on top declaring 'Berlin remains free.'
He spoke out against anti-semitism and donated generously to cultural projects in Israel.
He was called 'the most popular German in Israel.'
The Baader-Meinhoff Gang set off bombs at his company's Hamburg offices, injuring 17 people (1972).
Radicals twice tried to burn down homes he owned (1973,1975).

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 49]
• I Died in 1985 (Ranked: 73)
• I Have Kids at Least 20 Years Apart
• I Married at Least Five Times [I Do! I Do! I Do! I Do! I Do!]
• I Married in 1978
• I Named My Kid After Myself
• I Outlived My Child
• Look at Me, I'm Postage
• My Name, My Company
• My Spouse is at Least Ten Years Younger than Me
• Newspaper Journalists/Editors/Publishers
• One of My Kids Committed Suicide
• Profiles 34501-34750 (Ranked: 34692)

Year In Review:

In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 11 Votes: 90.91% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 13 Votes: 23.08% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 11 Votes: 63.64% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying