Maxwell, Robert Ian

Maxwell, Robert Ian (1923-1991), British publisher, politician, and media tycoon. Born Jan Ludvick Hoch to Jewish parents in the former Czechoslovakia, at the outbreak of World War II Maxwell was working in Budapest and escaped the Holocaust in which most of his family perished. He fled continental Europe and joined the British army, becoming a distinguished officer and winning the Military Cross. After the war Maxwell set up Pergamon Press, a move which credited him with establishing scientific publishing in Britain.

In 1959 Maxwell embarked on his political career with his selection as a Labour party candidate; he was elected to parliament in 1964 and served as an MP until 1970. In 1981 he rescued the British Printing Corporation, comprising a substantial portion of the British newspaper and magazine publishing industry, from financial collapse; he renamed it Maxwell Communications Corporation. In 1984 Maxwell became chairman of Mirror Group Newspapers, which support the Labour Party openly in their political coverage. He also originated two newspapers: the short-lived London Daily News (1988) and The European (1990).

By 1990 Maxwell had built one of the world's largest media empires, which also included American publishing companies as well as television and film production concerns. However, with the exception of the Daily Mirror, his business was largely unprofitable and in 1991 he began to liquidate his assets. Maxwell died the same year under mysterious circumstances. His body was found at sea after disappearing from his luxury yacht off the Canary Islands. At the time of his death the corporation was estimated to be £400 million in debt. A lengthy enquiry into Maxwell's affairs revealed that he had embezzled funds from his company and his employees' pension funds.