Le Hodey family: Belgium's 104-million-euro media empire in full metamorphosis
Le Hodey family
The le Hodey family is a prominent figure in the Belgian media landscape, mainly through the company IPM Group. Today, François le Hodey, son of Philippe le Hodey, plays a central role in the company. François is best known for his role as Chairman of the Board at N-SIDE. The family media empire includes renowned publications such as La Dernière Heure and La Libre Belgiqueand the Belgian version of Paris Match magazine. The Le Hodey family has an estimated fortune of over €104,278,190.
Philippe le Hodeyactive in Christian and French-speaking Democrat (PSC) politics in the 1950s and 1960s, also laid solid foundations in the world of business. As a senator and member of the European Parliament, he made a name for himself in political circles. Married to Elisabeth Coppée, they merged two great Belgian industrial dynasties. Elisabeth founded the women's movement within the PSC, while Philippe ran the Coppée family business specializing in building materials, before its merger with France's Lafarge in the 1980s.
Visit Philippe's three children continue his work on various fronts. François, in addition to his responsibilities at IPM, is involved in the organization of the famous Queen Elisabeth Competition. Patrice le Hodey, meanwhile, thrives in the world of comics and animated films, while Philippe is recognized as a real estate expert and art collector. Their late brother, Dominique le Hodey, directed the Catholic television channel KTO Belgique and maintained close relations with King Albert II.
The foundations of company IPM have been showing signs of economic tension for several years. The continuing decline in sales of their main newspapers is a major concern. In 2012, La Dernière Heure, a popular newspaper comparable to Het Laatste Nieuws in Flanders, and La Libre Belgique, a high-quality conservative newspaper, had a combined circulation of around 95,000 copies a day. Six years later, in 2018, circulation had almost halved to just 47,000 copies for La Dernière Heure.
In response to these challenges, the le Hodey family has sought to diversify and strengthen its support base. In 2014, they issued a 15 million euro bond. They also sought to merge La Dernière Heure with Vers l'Avenir, property of Nethys, but this project never came to fruition. In addition, occasional collaborations were established with the Walloon and Brussels governments, as well as with the Tecteo cable group. Tecteo acquired 49 % of IPM-Twizz Radio to support the company.
In 2022, IPM expanded its influence in the field of television by acquiring the LN24 news channel. Rapid technological development and changes in media consumption continually demand strategic adaptations from the le Hodey family.
Recent acquisitions and investments reveal a strategy focused on resilience and diversity. In 2023, Swedish company Betsson bought Belgian sports betting site betFIRST for the impressive sum of 120 million euros. IPM held a majority stake in betFIRST, strengthening the family's influence in the digital and sports betting sector.
Philippe le Hodeyinvested in real estate, and Patrice and Françoisactive in their respective fields, demonstrate the diversity and persistence of the family's interests. Their enthusiasm and dedication continue to guide the family in an ever-changing media industry.
Family genealogy chart:
| Name | Relationship | Roles/Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Philippe le Hodey | Father | Politician, company director, senator, member of the European Parliament |
| Elisabeth Coppée | Mother | Founder of the PSC women's movement, company director |
| François le Hodey | Wires | President of N-SIDE, Managing Director of IPM |
| Patrice le Hodey | Wires | Specialist in comic strips and animated films |
| Philippe le Hodey | Wires | Real estate expert, art collector |
| Dominique le Hodey | Son (deceased) | President of KTO Belgium, friend of King Albert II |
The rich and diverse history of the le Hodey family bears witness to their enduring influence on Belgium's economic and media landscape. What has enabled the Hodey dynasty to have aassets in excess of 100 million euros.
