KATHMANDU, May 24: RedBird Capital Partners, a U.S.-based investment firm, has reached an agreement to acquire full control of The Telegraph newspaper, valuing the enterprise at approximately £500 million (\$673 million), Reuters reported.
The move comes after a period of uncertainty over the ownership of the right-leaning British broadsheet. In 2023, RedBird IMI—a joint venture between RedBird Capital and Abu Dhabi-owned International Media Investments (IMI)—had acquired The Telegraph and The Spectator magazine. However, political backlash in the UK over foreign state influence in the media led to legislative efforts to curb such ownership, putting the deal under pressure.
Chinese private firm makes debut in Nepali hydropower sector
According to Reuters, a recent policy shift by the British government—allowing foreign state-backed entities to hold up to a 15% stake in domestic newspaper publishers—paved the way for the new agreement.
“RedBird Capital, which initially provided 25% of the funding for RedBird IMI’s acquisition, will now assume sole control,” the firm said in a statement, as cited by Reuters. The company added that it is in talks with “select UK-based minority investors with print media expertise” to support the future direction of the paper.
IMI, under the new arrangement, will remain a minority investor, contingent upon compliance with the UK’s foreign ownership laws.
The acquisition has reignited debate in British political circles over media independence and concerns about foreign influence on public discourse.
