László Szíjj’s firm funded Megafon political agency

Financial records revealed by Direkt36 and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) show that Vakond Via Kft., a company owned by Hungarian construction mogul László Szíjj, donated 300 million Hungarian forints to Megafon. These donations, totaling approximately $863,000, were distributed as cash grants: roughly $252,000 in 2024 and $611,000 in 2025.

Megafon is a political advertising agency that has been highly influential in running social media campaigns supporting Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party. This funding follows previous reports that Lőrinc Mészáros, another wealthy businessman and partner of Szíjj, provided approximately $12 million to Megafon between 2022 and 2024.

Since the electoral defeat of the Fidesz party in April, Megafon has significantly downsized, with its website taken offline and staff numbers reportedly dropping from 72 to three. The findings have been cited by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who has sought to address the funneling of state advertising and funds into pro-Fidesz media outlets.