Press Holdings

Press Holdings, Telegraph Media Group

David and Frederick Barclay

The Barclay brothers, identical twins David Rowat Barclay and Frederick Hugh Barclay, have very substantial business interests primarily in media, retail and property. They ranked 17th on the Sunday Times Rich List 2019, with estimated wealth of £8bn.^[1]

Press Holdings and May Corporation Ltd are two Jersey-registered holding companies. These two companies control the UK holding company Press Acquisitions Ltd, which in turn owns the Telegraph Media Group Ltd, parent company of the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph and The Spectator.

"The Telegraph's profits have collapsed under assault from social media companies. It has become a propaganda tool for the Barclay brothers to promote their low tax, small state agenda, and to help get their stooge Boris Johnson into Downing Street."^[2]

Media Brands

• The Telegraph is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper. It is disparagingly referred to by some as "The Torygraph"; whereas the BBC has described it as "one of the world's great titles".^[3]
• The Spectator, a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs.
• Apollo, a monthly international magazine covering visual arts of all periods.

Other Brands

• The Ritz Hotel London, built by Swiss hotelier César Ritz in 1906. The building is neoclassical in the Louis XVI manner, built to resemble a stylish Parisian block of flats.
• Shop Direct Ltd, a multi-brand online retailer and financial services provider. The group includes the Littlewoods, Very Exclusive and Very.co.uk brands.^[4]

Holdings

Ownership

ToDo: David and Frederick Barclay Family Settlements; RBC Trust Company (International) Ltd, OC;

Structure

• Press Holdings, reg. Jersey
• May Corporation Ltd, reg. Jersey
  • Press Acquisitions Ltd
    • Telegraph Media Group Ltd
      • Sunday Telegraph
      • The Telegraph
      • The Spectator
      • Apollo

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• B.UK Ltd, reg. Bermuda
  • Ellerman Investments Ltd, group administration, CH
    • Ellerman Holdings Ltd, OC, reg. Jersey
      • Ritz Hotel (London) Ltd, CH
        • 22 Arlington Street Ltd, property investment co, [OC], reg. Jersey

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FixMe: Put Mohamed Al Fayed's holdings on its own page. Ultimate controlling parties: Mohamed Al Fayed and his family

• R H Paris 1 Sarl, OC, reg. Luxembourg
• Ritz (Paris) Holdings Ltd, OC, reg. Jersey
  • Ritz Hotel (London) Ltd + The Ritz Hotel Ltd, CH
    • 50%/50% JV: Ritz Products (UK) Ltd, royalty income from "Ritz" champagne sales, CH, OC
    • Ritz Health Club (RHC) Sarl, [OC], reg. France

ToDo: Immazur Sarl

Timeline

• Dec.2005: Press Holdings sold The Scotsman Publications to Edinburgh-based Johnston Press.
• 1995: Acquired The Scotsman Publications.

Articles

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