While in the USA, Axel Springer Verlag publishes the foreign language editions of Forbes magazine in Poland and Russia. In 2012, the company’s revenues increased 4% to $4.2 billion, of which a total of 35% stemmed from digital media. Holding 53.35% of the company, Friede Springer saw a jump in her net worth by $1.2 billion last year mainly thanks to dividends. Aside from being the key person behind the media giant since her husband’s death, she is also active in various philanthropic organizations and has received numerous accolades for her efforts to re-establish German-Jewish relations. Furthermore, Springer holds the Federal Cross of Merit for her attempts to promote social, cultural and scientific dialogue on a global basis. In a political context, she is a member of Germany’s conservative party, the Christian Democratic Union; she has become a personal friend of Chancellor Angela Merkel.
