Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA is a German multinational corporation based in Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is one of the world's largest mass media companies and also active in the service sector and education.[4][5] Bertelsmann was founded as a publishing house by Carl Bertelsmann in 1835.[6] After World War II, Bertelsmann, under the leadership of Reinhard Mohn, went from being a medium-sized enterprise to a major conglomerate, offering not only books but also television, radio, magazines and business services.[7] Bertelsmann is an unlisted and capital market-oriented company,[8] which remains primarily controlled by the Mohn family.[9][10] Since 2016, major divisions of Bertelsmann are RTL Group, Penguin Random House, Gruner + Jahr, BMG, Arvato, Bertelsmann Printing Group, Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments.

Bertelsmann is majority owned (77.4%) by the Bertelsmann Foundation, a non-profit organisation and political think tank founded by the Mohn family. The Mohn family owns the remaining 22.6% of the company. [Source: Wikipedia]