Robert Maxwell: The life of a media tycoon and Holocaust survivor

Robert Maxwell, born Jan Ludvik Hoch in what is now Ukraine, rose from a modest Jewish family in Czechoslovakia to become one of the most influential and controversial media moguls of the 20th century.

After surviving the Holocaust, which claimed much of his family, Maxwell moved to the United Kingdom and served in the British Army during World War II, earning the Military Cross for bravery. He later rebuilt his life under his new name, establishing Pergamon Press in 1949, which specialized in scientific and academic publishing.

His business empire expanded significantly through the acquisition of the British Printing Corporation and Mirror Group Newspapers, including the Daily Mirror, in 1984. His reach extended to the United States with the acquisition of Macmillan and the New York Daily News. Beyond business, Maxwell was also active in politics, serving as a Labour Member of Parliament between 1964 and 1970.