Jeanette Bonnier

Our beloved Jeanette has left us. She was Bonnier's single biggest shareholder and for many years was a member of the board for Expressen, Dagens Nyheter, Svensk Filmindustri and Bonnier AB, among others.

Apart from her formal mandate as a board member and shareholder, Jeanette Bonnier had for many years an incredibly strong position among the owners by virtue of her dedication, her insight into the business and her brilliant intensity. She was appreciated, respected and loved, and no doubt, sometimes feared. When I received an e-mail from Jeanette, it was always written in capital letters. But she didn't just write that way, she SPOKE in capital letters. And it had an impact. Jeanette had an influence on shareholder decisions that often went beyond her substantial stake in the company.

Jeanette's influence even beyond the shareholders can be seen in editorials today in Dagens Nyheter and Expressen (which has replaced its usual blue frame around the paper with a black frame of mourning). Even if she was widely involved in Bonnier's business, it's true that Expressen held a special place in her heart. "She lovedExpressen unconditionally, while she respected Dagens Nyheter," wrote Peter Wolodarski, editor-in-chief for Dagens Nyheter. When she spoke openly about her life in the profile interview TV programMin sanning (my truth), viewers responded with a stream of overwhelmingly positive reactions.

A lasting legacy that Jeanette leaves behind is the art museum Bonniers Konsthall. That her legacy will now be used through a foundation for the benefit of art and in support of free speech seems appropriate and logical. The foundation will strengthen the same values that she fought for her whole life.

I will miss her deeply.

Carl-Johan Bonnier
Chairman of the Board, Bonnier AB