DiscoverFollow the Money: The PodcastA billionaire’s hidden empire built on coal and post cards
A billionaire’s hidden empire built on coal and post cards

A billionaire’s hidden empire built on coal and post cards

Update: 2025-09-03
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You probably have never heard of him, but he’s one of Europe’s most influential billionaires: Daniel Křetínský, a Czech businessman who built his fortune on coal – all the while receiving hundreds of millions of euros for green subsidies from the EU. In this episode, investigative journalists Hazel Sheffield and Sofia Cherici unpick Křetínský’s vast empire: from fossil fuels and biomass plants to media outlets, supermarkets, postal services, and even football clubs. They’re diving into how, away from scrutiny, one Czech man holds Europe’s vital services in his grip.

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A billionaire’s hidden empire built on coal and post cards

A billionaire’s hidden empire built on coal and post cards

Sofia Cherici, Hazel Sheffield, Alexander Fanta, Emma du Chatinier