Dr Mathias Döpfner studied musicology, German and theatre studies in Frankfurt am Main and jazz at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He received his doctorate from the University of Frankfurt am Main in 1990. He began his journalistic career in 1982 as a music critic for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. After various positions, including FAZ correspondent in Brussels and managing director of a subsidiary of the concert agency Winderstein, Döpfner moved to Gruner + Jahr in 1992. In March 1998, Döpfner became editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Die Welt. In July 2000, he became a member of the board of directors of Axel Springer Verlag. Döpfner has been CEO of Axel Springer SE since January 2002. From 2016 to 2022, he was president of the German Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers (BDZV). His wealth was estimated by Forbes at over one billion euros at the beginning of 2023.
