Who Thomas Middelhoff used to be, how he became what he was
Thomas Middelhoff is one of the most influential media figures of the 1990s and 2000s. As one of the first media managers in Europe, he recognized the importance of digital media early on, when many of his colleagues were still far from even using a digital device.
He rose to become CEO of Bertelsmann AG, built the company into one of the world's leading media companies, and conferred, dined, and strolled with Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, and many other media giants. And he fell hard when he was arrested and sentenced to several years in prison for fraud and tax evasion.
When Germany and Europe led the way in digital media
Thomas Middelhoff's truly extraordinary career also shows the type of managers who were active at that time and drove Europe's digitalization forward. On the one hand, they ensured that Germany took a leading role in digital media worldwide, despite political inertia.
On the other hand, they displayed a brazen management style and corporate governance that we distance ourselves from, both then and now.
Thomas Middelhoff now shows outward modesty and forced humility in the film, instead of the absolute excesses of the past. The former “Master of the Universe” worked intermittently during his imprisonment as a day release prisoner in a workshop for people with disabilities. In the 1990s, he resided on the top floors of the New York Tower, in his villa on the Adriatic, worked a lot, flew to work by helicopter, high above the common people who stood silently in traffic jams. Today, on the other hand, he himself has a lot of time to spend in the pedestrian zone in Bielefeld – it couldn't be more stark.
Middelhoff – role model for managers in the nineties
The documentary focuses on Thomas Middelhoff as an individual fate. In fact, however, he was a role model for many at that time (not all, fortunately). The film shows how he presents himself today and how he sees himself – a lesson in greed for success as a motivation, false drive, the resulting actions and their consequences, and the subsequent fall from grace.
My impression: Mr. Middelhoff still shows elements of his former arrogance at times. It's understandable: he's proud of his past successes. He feels misunderstood and reflects on his actions, sometimes in a quite nuanced way. But he can still give people a good dressing-down. What does he regret? An interesting question with a very short answer – just watch for yourself.
Personal experience
My bosses at one of the first digital agencies in Germany and Europe were Middelhoff followers, whom I had the opportunity, ability, and necessity to deal with. We – my wife, friends, and I – wanted to be everything, just not like that. We wanted to communicate freely and effectively, and use media and content for ‘nobler’ goals. Very romantic? Yes. Better? We'll see. As a new generation, you look to the previous one for guidance, learn from it, follow it, or set yourself apart from it. We sought distance from the Middelhoffs of that time; our role models were different.
New format for OMR – Online Marketing Rockstars
The film is the premiere of a new format for Online Marketing Rockstars – really well done, dear colleagues! Great respect and much success, it's fun and makes us want more!
https://lnkd.in/d94z7aW
