# Michael Ringier > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Michael_Ringier > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Michael_Ringier.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ringier > Source revision: 1319745851 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Swiss publisher (born 1949)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Michael Ringier | image = Michael Ringier.jpeg | birth_name = Michael Ringier | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|3|30|df=y}} | birth_place = [Zofingen](/source/Zofingen), Switzerland | education = [University of St. Gallen](/source/University_of_St._Gallen) (1970–1972) | occupation = Publisher, Chairman of [Ringier Holding AG](/source/Ringier) | spouse = {{marriage|[Ellen Ringier](/source/Ellen_Ringier)|1976|2025|end=her death}} | children = Two adopted daughters | family = [Ringier family](/source/Ringier_family) | website = {{URL|http://www.ringier.com}} }} '''Michael Ringier'''{{Cite web |title=Michael Ringier in Küsnacht - Auskünfte |url=https://www.moneyhouse.ch/de/person/ringier-michael-143821297101 |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=Moneyhouse |language=de}} (born 30 March 1949) is a Swiss businessman, publisher and art collector. He has served as chairman of the board of directors of [Ringier](/source/Ringier), a leading Swiss media company, since 2003. He is a prominent member of the [Ringier family](/source/Ringier_family). == Early life == Ringier was born 30 March 1949 in [Zofingen, Switzerland](/source/Zofingen%2C_Switzerland), the youngest of four children, to Hans Ringier (1906-2003), publisher, and Eva Ringier ([née](/source/n%C3%A9e) Landolt; 1914-1996). His siblings are; Christoph Ringier (born 1941), Evelyn Lingg ([née](/source/n%C3%A9e) Ringier; formerly Bargezi; born 1942) and Annette Ringier (1944-2020).{{Cite web |title=Michael Ringier - Munzinger Biographie |url=https://www.munzinger.de/search/go/document.jsp?id=00000019300 |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=www.munzinger.de}} His father was the sole heir and proprietor to the [Ringier media company](/source/Ringier). The [Ringier family](/source/Ringier_family) is of [French Huguenot](/source/French_Huguenot) descent from [Nîmes](/source/N%C3%AEmes). His ancestors settled in Zofingen in 1557 and became active in the printing and publishing business in 1831. Ringier was raised in Zofingen and attended the local schools. From 1970 to 1972 he attended [University of St. Gallen](/source/University_of_St._Gallen) but did not graduate. == Career == In 1973, he began to work as a journalist for the Münchner [Abendzeitung](/source/Abendzeitung). After attending courses at a journalism school and editorial stations in his family's media company, Ringier completed a trainee program at [Heinrich Bauer Verlag](/source/Bauer_Media_Group) in [Hamburg](/source/Hamburg) in 1976/77. He then worked for the business editorial staff of the [Stern](/source/Stern_(magazine)) and conceived (also for [Gruner + Jahr](/source/Gruner_%2B_Jahr)) the [magazin impulse](/source/Impulse_(German_magazine)). In the [Cologne](/source/Cologne) editorial department, he headed the department of "Business Administration and Business" from 1980 onwards.{{cite web |url=http://www.whoswho.de/bio/michael-ringier.html |title=Biografie Michael Ringier |publisher=Who’sWho |access-date=25 November 2017}} In 1983, he returned to Switzerland, where he took over the responsibility for [New Media](/source/New_Media) and the German market in the [Ringier](/source/Ringier) AG. In 1985, Michael Ringier was CEO of Ringier AG. In 1991, as [Chairman](/source/Chairman) of the [Board of Directors](/source/Board_of_Directors), he took over sole responsibility for the company. In 1997, he resigned as Chairman of the Board and took over the operational leadership of Ringier AG, as delegate of the board of directors. He also took over publishing management of the publisher. In 2003, Ringier became Chairman of Ringier Holding AG. In January 2018, Ringier announced at the Group Executive Board meeting that [Marc Walder](/source/Marc_Walder) had become an equity partner holding a stake of 10%.{{cite web |date=30 January 2018 |title=Marc Walder übernimmt 10 Prozent der Anteile |url=https://www.persoenlich.com/medien/marc-walder-ubernimmt-10-prozent-der-anteile |access-date=14 September 2023 |publisher=persoenlich.com}} == Personal life == Ringier was married to the late law graduate [Ellen Ringier](/source/Ellen_Ringier) (née Lüthy; 1951–2025) and has two adopted daughters. Ringier is considered a proven art collector{{cite web |url=http://www.ringier.ch/de/kunst |title=Der Verleger und die Kunst |author=Michael Ringier |publisher=Ringier AG |access-date=25 November 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://www.blick.ch/auto/zukunftsfahrt/zukunftsfahrt-mit-ellen-ringier-ich-fordere-einen-achten-bundesrat-als-familienminister-id6856072.html |title=Ich fordere einen achten Bundesrat als Familienminister |author=Astrid von Stockar |date=18 June 2016 |publisher=Blick |access-date=25 November 2017}} with a collection of more than 4,000 works of contemporary art{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/07/arts/amsterdam-beatrix-ruf-stedelijk.html |title=Museum Leader Who Resigned Calls Controversy a 'Misunderstanding' |author=Nina Seigal |date=7 November 2017 |publisher=The New York Times |access-date=22 May 2018}} and lives in a modern villa on [Lake Zurich](/source/Lake_Zurich). He likes to spend his holidays in his holiday home in [Engadin](/source/Engadin). Ringier likes to jog and is a passionate tennis and golf player.{{cite web |url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/medien/verliebt-verlobt-verheiratet/343618.html |title=Verliebt, verlobt, verheiratet? |author=Ulrike Simon |date=6 September 2002 |publisher=Tagesspiegel |access-date=1 June 2022}} ==Other activities== * [Swiss Institute Contemporary Art New York](/source/Swiss_Institute_Contemporary_Art_New_York), Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2016)Nate Freeman (15 September 2016), [https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/swiss-institute-to-move-to-st-marks-place-in-the-east-village-next-spring-6964/ Swiss Institute to Move to St. Marks Place in the East Village Next Spring] ''[ARTnews](/source/ARTnews)''. ==Controversy== In November 2017, Ringier’s name appeared in press reports in connection with payments made in 2015 and 2016 to [Beatrix Ruf](/source/Beatrix_Ruf), the then artistic director of the [Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam](/source/Stedelijk_Museum_Amsterdam), which lead to her resignation. Ringier, a former employer of Ruf, confirmed paying a departing “thank you gift” in installments over 2015 and 2016 for her successfully increasing the value of his personal collection.{{cite web |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/beatrix-ruf-breaks-silence-1142675 |title=Beatrix Ruf Breaks Her Silence, Says Conflict of Interest Allegations Were a ‘Misunderstanding’ |author=Henri Neuendorf |date=8 November 2017 |publisher=news.artnet.com |access-date=14 September 2023}} In January 2022, Michael Ringier dealt with accusations, arising out of Ringier’s CEO Marc Walder’s statements at a board meeting the previous year, of allegedly pro-government Covid coverage which escalated to allegations that journalism at Ringier was “carried out according to instructions,” marking them as “an absolutely malicious defamation of the daily work of many competent and extremely serious journalists at Ringier.”{{cite web |url=https://www.kleinreport.ch/news/verleger-michael-ringier-sieht-eine-absolut-boswillige-diffamierung-98609/ |title=Verleger Michael Ringier sieht «eine absolut böswillige Diffamierung» |author=Michael Ringier |date=5 January 2022 |publisher=kleinreport.ch |access-date=14 September 2023}} In November 2022, it was reported that Michael Ringier and Marc Walder, as well as Ringier-AG, had started legal action against the finance news portal “Inside Paradeplatz GmbH” and its operator and owner Lukas Hässig, for violation of personal rights.{{cite web |url=https://www.kleinreport.ch/news/michael-ringier-und-marc-walder-wollen-von-inside-paradeplatz-35000-genugtuung-100728/ |title=Michael Ringier und Marc Walder wollen von Inside Paradeplatz 35'000 Franken Genugtuung: «psychisch und moralisch getroffen» |date=21 November 2022 |publisher=kleinreport.ch |access-date=8 January 2024}} == Literature == * [https://www.munzinger.de/search/simple/query?template=%2Fpublikationen%2Fresult.jsp&query.id=query-simple&query.commit=1&query.index-order=personen&query.facets=yes&hitlist.size=5&hitlist.highlight=yes&query.scope=&query.text=Michael+Ringier&absenden.x=36&absenden.y=24&queryScope= Michael Ringier Biography], in the [Munzinger-Archiv](/source/Munzinger-Archiv) * [https://www.blick.ch/schweiz/ringen-um-ringier-das-buch-mehr-als-eine-heldengeschichte-id15304652.html Ringen um Ringier, Über die Kunst der Digitalisierung in einem Schweizer Medienkonzern], René Lüchinger, [Steidl](/source/Steidl), [Göttingen](/source/G%C3%B6ttingen) 2019, {{ISBN|978-3-95829-588-9}} == External links == * [http://www.ringier.com/de/ueber_ringier/organisation/michael_ringier Michael Ringier] on the website from Ringier * [https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/netzwirtschaft/michael-ringier-im-interview-in-der-digitalen-welt-stochern-wir-alle-im-nebel-1540680.html ''In der digitalen Welt stochern wir alle im Nebel'']. Article in: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung from 9 May 2008 * [http://www.persoenlich.com/pdf/interviews/interviews431.pdf Michael Ringier.] Interview *[Aargauer Zeitung](/source/Aargauer_Zeitung): [https://www.aargauerzeitung.ch/schweiz/michael-ringier-der-internet-super-gau-wird-kommen-ld.1687519 Michael Ringier: "Der Internet-Super-Gau wird kommen"] (Interview from 20 April 2015) == References == {{Reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Ringier, Michael}} {{Authority control}} Category:Swiss publishers (people) Category:Swiss businesspeople Category:1949 births Category:Stern (magazine) people Category:University of St. Gallen alumni Category:Living people --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Michael Ringier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ringier) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ringier?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.