Hubert Burda (born February 9, 1940, in Heidelberg) is a German publisher, art historian and honorary chairman of Hubert Burda Media, the family group behind Focus, Bunte and HolidayCheck. As of October 1, 2026 he is 86 years old, and since February 1, 2025 his children Elisabeth Burda Furtwängler and Jacob Burda run the company. Both are the children of his second marriage, to the actress and physician Maria Furtwängler, whom he married in 1991; their separation became public in August 2022.
Quick answers about Hubert Burda
How old is Hubert Burda?
Hubert Burda is 86 years old (as of October 1, 2026). He was born on February 9, 1940, in Heidelberg, and turns 87 on February 9, 2027.
What is Hubert Burda's net worth?
Forbes estimated Hubert Burda's net worth at about $4 billion in 2025. A 2026 ranking of Bavaria's wealthiest people, reported by inFranken on the basis of Forbes data, lists him in seventh place with €4.2 billion. The wealth derives from the family-owned media group Hubert Burda Media.
Is Hubert Burda a millionaire?
Technically yes, but the accurate label is billionaire. Every major estimate, from Forbes to regional wealth rankings, puts his fortune in the billions, not the millions.
Who runs Hubert Burda Media now?
Since February 1, 2025, Hubert Burda's children Elisabeth Burda Furtwängler and Jacob Burda hold entrepreneurial and publishing responsibility. Olaf Koch, the former Metro CEO, chairs the board. Hubert Burda remains a personally liable partner and honorary chairman.
Early life: from Heidelberg to the Burda dynasty
Hubert Burda was born in Heidelberg as the youngest of three sons of the publishers Franz and Aenne Burda. His mother built the fashion and sewing-pattern magazine Burda Moden into an international brand, and the family had been active in publishing since 1903. Franz Burda was his father, not his brother.
For deep archival documentation, read the German Hubert Burda feature on bockschroeder.com.
He studied art history, archaeology and sociology, earned a doctorate in art history at LMU Munich under Hans Sedlmayr, and trained with US advertising agencies and publishers. Until 1974 he worked as publishing manager of the family magazine Bild und Funk. After his father's death in 1986, he took over the holding company as sole shareholder and chairman.
A publisher with a doctorate in art history, Burda built a family business into a group that spans magazines, digital investments and a conference on technology and culture. — Editorial Team
Hubert Burda timeline: key dates from 1940 to 2026
Hubert Burda's net worth: what Forbes and 2026 rankings say
Hubert Burda is one of Germany's wealthiest publishers. Published figures are estimates, and they differ by source, year and currency. The table lists the data points this article relies on.
Net worth estimates by source and year
| Year | Source | Estimate | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Forbes | $3.6 billion | Older figure that several profile pages still quote |
| 2025 | Forbes | about $4 billion | Most recent global Forbes estimate used here |
| 2026 | Forbes-based ranking of Bavaria's wealthiest, reported by inFranken | €4.2 billion | Seventh place in Bavaria; regional list in euros |
How to read these figures
Three caveats
- Estimates, not audits. Burda Media is privately held, so rankings rely on estimates of the group's value.
- Family ownership. Since 2017 his children hold the capital majority (about 37.5% each, per press reports), while Hubert Burda keeps about 25.1%. Rankings often attribute family-controlled wealth to one name.
- Business trend. Group revenue fell in 2025, so future estimates may move with the company's results.
Succession at Hubert Burda Media: Elisabeth and Jacob Burda take over
The generational change was announced in December 2024 and took effect on February 1, 2025. Elisabeth Burda Furtwängler and Jacob Burda, who had been shareholders since 2010 and board members since 2017, took over entrepreneurial and publishing responsibility as the fourth generation of the family. Hubert Burda left the board at the end of January 2025 but stays with the company.
Who holds which role since 2025
| Person | Role | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Hubert Burda | Honorary chairman, personally liable partner | Left the board in January 2025; holds about 25.1% |
| Elisabeth Burda Furtwängler | Entrepreneurial and publishing responsibility | Shareholder since 2010, board member since 2017; about 37.5% |
| Jacob Burda | Entrepreneurial and publishing responsibility | Shareholder since 2010, board member since 2017; about 37.5% |
| Olaf Koch | Chairman of the board | Former Metro CEO; succeeded Paul-Bernhard Kallen |
| Ulrike Handel | Board member | Joined in February 2025; previously an Axel Springer executive |
The handover coincided with a difficult period. Trade press reported in 2025 that the new leadership was reviewing the portfolio and restructuring parts of the group, and the 2025 results confirmed pressure on revenue and earnings (see the 2026 update).
Related: Maria Furtwängler
Hubert Burda's second wife is the actress, producer and physician Maria Furtwängler, mother of Jacob and Elisabeth. Her profile covers her career, the MaLisa Foundation and the separation.
Read the Maria Furtwängler profileHubert Burda's family: parents, wives and children
The Burda family tree explains much of the group's history. It runs from the founding generation through Hubert Burda to his children, who now lead the company.
- FatherFranz Burda
- Publisher whose death in 1986 led to Hubert taking over the family holding.
- MotherAenne Burda
- Publisher who built the fashion and sewing-pattern magazine Burda Moden into an international brand.
- BrothersFranz and Frieder Burda
- Hubert's older brothers. Frieder Burda was a well-known art collector.
- Marriage 1Christa Maar
- Hubert's first wife and mother of Felix. Together they founded the Felix Burda Stiftung.
- SonFelix Burda
- Died in 2001 at 33 of colon cancer. The foundation in his name campaigns for early detection.
- Marriage 2Maria Furtwängler
- Actress, physician and producer, married to Hubert Burda from 1991; separation public since August 2022. Read her profile.
- SonJacob Burda
- Born 1990; shareholder since 2010 and, with his sister, in charge of the group since 2025.
- DaughterElisabeth Burda Furtwängler
- Born 1992; shareholder since 2010, co-leads the group and, with her mother, the MaLisa Foundation.
Questions about Hubert Burda's current relationship status are treated conservatively here: the separation from Maria Furtwängler became public in August 2022, and no authorized information on a legal status or a new relationship has been published.
Hubert Burda Media today: brands, revenue and structure
Hubert Burda Media has roughly 10,000 employees and combines traditional publishing with digital stakes. Following the group's 2025 report, publishing sits in the Burda Media division, while digital holdings such as Xing and HolidayCheck sit in Burda Equity, next to BurdaPrincipal Investments.
Key brands and holdings
| Brand | What it is | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | News magazine | Founded by Hubert Burda in 1993 |
| Bunte | Celebrity and society magazine | One of the group's best-known titles |
| Freundin | Women's lifestyle magazine | Part of the publishing portfolio |
| InStyle | Fashion and lifestyle magazine | German edition published by Burda |
| HolidayCheck | Travel reviews and booking platform | Digital stake within Burda Equity |
| Xing / New Work SE | Professional network | Digital stake within Burda Equity |
| Bambi | Media award, awarded since 1948 | Backed by Burda; Hubert Burda acts as patron |
Interested in working there? Open positions are listed on the official Burda website.
Art, ideas and the Iconic Turn: Hubert Burda beyond publishing
Art collection and patronage
Profiles describe Burda as a collector of contemporary art, and works by Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys and Julian Schnabel are frequently named in connection with his collection. His doctorate in art history and his foundation work point the same way: he treats culture as part of the business, not a side interest.
The Iconic Turn
The term Iconic Turn comes from art historian Gottfried Boehm (1994) and describes how images increasingly shape knowledge. Burda adopted the idea as a lens for the digital age and made it a recurring theme of his public role.
DLD conference
Burda chairs the DLD (Digital Life Design) conference in Munich, a meeting place for technology, media and culture that connects his publishing business with the digital debate.
Hubert Burda Stiftung
Founded in 1999, the Hubert Burda Stiftung supports literature, international understanding, art, culture and science and awards the Hubert Burda Prize for Young Poetry from Eastern Europe. The separate Felix Burda Stiftung, established in 2001 in memory of his son, focuses on colon cancer prevention.
2026 update: Burda Media's results and the AI copyright debate
What changed in 2026
Change log
- February 9, 2026: Hubert Burda turns 86.
- May 2026: The group publishes its 2025 results with little fanfare: revenue of €2.66 billion (−2.6%), declining EBITDA, and an overall assessment of "not satisfactory".
- 2026: A Forbes-based ranking of Bavaria's wealthiest places him seventh with €4.2 billion.
- Ongoing: The EU AI Act's rules for general-purpose AI models, in force since August 2025, keep training data and copyright at the center of the publishing debate.
Why publishers like Burda care about AI and copyright
Burda has long argued for stronger rights for press publishers, a cause that led to the EU's press publishers' right in 2019. In 2026 the same question returns in a new form: whether and how publishers are paid when their content is used to train AI systems. We found no verified 2026 statement by Hubert Burda himself on the subject, so this section describes the industry debate and does not attribute a position to him.
From the Bock-Schroeder archive: Hubert Burda and Maria Furtwängler's wedding portrait
Hubert Burda and Maria Furtwängler: Official Wedding Photograph, 1991
When Hubert Burda married Maria Furtwängler in 1991, the couple's official wedding photograph was entrusted to Ingeborg Bock-Schroeder, a rare intersection of a private family archive and a photographer better known for editorial and celebrity portraiture.
More on Ingeborg Bock-SchroederHubert Burda: frequently asked questions
More answers on his background, family and company, in addition to the quick answers above.