Axel Springer’s chief executive used his best-selling tabloid to campaign against Adidas’s decision to stop paying rent during the pandemic, without disclosing that he was the company’s landlord.

Mathias D?pfner, who has a 22 per cent stake in Springer worth more than €1bn, has become one of the world’s most powerful publishers, acquiring US media such as Politico and Business Insider as he tries to build “the leading digital media company of the democratic world”.

In March and April 2020, Springer’s flagship tabloid Bild published more than 20 articles chiding Adidas for a planned rent freeze during the first lockdown. Other retailers with similar policies including H&M, Ceconomy, Deichmann and Puma received significantly less attention. The coverage triggered a national outcry that culminated in one MP burning an Adidas shirt and posting a clip on social media.