Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire businessman and media mogul, is interested in acquiring either Wall Street Journal parent company Dow Jones or The Washington Post, a source familiar with his thinking told Axios.
Why it matters: Bloomberg wants to expand his media empire and sees Dow Jones as his ideal fit, but he would buy the Post if Jeff Bezos were interested in selling, the source said.
The combination of Bloomberg and Dow Jones would create an unparalleled business news behemoth.
Details: Bloomberg, the source notes, would be interested in a potential acquisition of either property, but Dow Jones — the publisher of financial titles such as The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and MarketWatch — would be a stronger target.
[This would be an acid test for the Biden administration’s anti-trust promises. A Bloomberg purchase of the DJ/WSJ would allow him to dominate Wall Street, but it would also likely change the conservative editorial direction of the Wall Street Journal. Is that worth a pass from Biden? Also, a Bloomberg purchase of the Post would raise similar but less broad concerns about consolidation in the news industry, so that is also worth watching. — Ed]
Join the conversation as a VIP Member