IPM is one of the most prominent media groups in French-speaking Belgium, operating behind its largest competitor, the Rossel Group. IPM was initially composed of two core newspapers: La Libre, launched in 1884 under the name Le Patriote by Victor and Louis Jourdain, and La Dernière Heure, first published in 1906 by three university friends: Maurice Brébart sr., Fernand Oedenkoven, and Georges Bouché.
The two newspapers have different focuses and target audiences. Le Patriote focuses on political news, while La Dernière Heure (DH) dedicates significant space to sports news. La Libre has a more traditionalist stance, reflecting Catholic influences. Before the 1980s, it covered the daily activities of the Royal Family. In contrast, La DH positions itself as anticlerical and provides a more liberal perspective.
Le Patriote was briefly suspended due to the German invasion, subsequently resuming publication clandestinely from 1915 onwards under the name La Libre. This name was subsequently adopted on a permanent basis.
During the 1980s, the Le Hodey family began to acquire significant ownership interests in both newspapers, ultimately establishing the IMP Group for the Société anonyme d’Informations & de Productions Multimédia (Anonymous society for Information & Multimedia Production). Since then, the group has undergone substantial growth, including investments in weekly periodicals.
Notably, IPM co-leads the Belgian editions of the French Paris-Match and Courier International newspapers. A significant recent development was the 2021 acquisition of Les Editions de L’Avenir, which enabled IPM to further expand and caught up with its rival, the Rossel Group.
However, one year later, the Rossel Group restored the imbalance by co-acquiring RTL Belgium with DPG Media Group. This strategic move, as articulated by the group’s CEO François le Hodey, underscores the need for IPM to maintain its growth trajectory and pursue continuous innovation to remain competitive.
Since 1991, IPM has been under the complete ownership of the Le Hodey family, one of the wealthiest families in Belgium. In 2021, the family’s net worth was estimated at €36m, placing them at the 457th position on the Belgian Fortune list. According to the Euromedia Ownership Monitor, the Le Hodeys’ wealth is primarily attributable to their ownership of the Belgian company Maja, which is owned by the Luxembourgish Compagnie de développement des médias.
Philippe le Hodey, a Catholic lawyer, started the family’s fortune. Through his marriage to Elisabeth Coppée, a prominent baroness, he joined forces with another influential family and assumed a prominent position in their siderurgy company.
Following the war, Philippe le Hodey ventured into politics, initially as part of the Social Christian Party and later as a member of several European institutions. He also made lucrative investments in real estate. The wealth accumulated over the years was instrumental in the Le Hodey children’s acquisition of media outlets and the establishment of IPM in the 1980s and 1990s.
The company is currently led by François le Hodey, one of Philippe le Hodey and Elisabeth Coppée’s sons. His siblings contribute to the family\s wealth in other capacities.
