View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. News
July 19, 2010

Alexander Lebedev: ‘Talk that I am Trojan horse for Russian government is absurd’

By Dominic wireposts

Fascinating “Day in the Life” interview with billionare newspaper proprietor Alexander Lebedev in yesterday’s Sunday Times Magazine (paywall protected).

Saying that he made his money from trading everything from shoes to barbed wire after the fall of the Soviety Union, and then moving into secondary debt markets, the former KGB man says: “All this talk of ‘God knows how he made his billions’ is rubbish.

“When I bought the Evening Standard and the two Independent titles, people thought I was some sort of Trojan horse for the Russian government. That’s absurd. I bought them because I truly believe in newspapers and a free press. An independent press that holds those in power to account is a vital part of a democratic society.”

He adds: “My dream is to set up a foundation to finance journalistic investigations into international corruption. The free media can change the world. My idea is for some of the biggest titles around the world to pool resources to uncover the schemes and money flows used to sustain massive corruption. The results would be presented to the G8. That would force governments to act. We need transparency and accountability.”

Moscow based Lebedev also says: “As a big businessman in Russia who sees things differently from those in power, I tell myself every night and every morning that I should be ready to go to jail. The risk is always there.”

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Topics in this article : , ,

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network