Who founded Future plc and when was it started?
Future plc was founded by Chris Anderson in 1985 as Future Publishing, based in Somerton, Somerset, England. The company launched with a single magazine, Amstrad Action.
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Future plc was founded by Chris Anderson in 1985 as Future Publishing, based in Somerton, Somerset, England. The company launched with a single magazine, Amstrad Action.
Future plc was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1999. The listing followed Chris Anderson's repurchase of the company from Pearson plc in 1998 for £142 million.
Future plc was accused of corruption in 2004 after two of its owned magazines, Xbox World and PSM2, published positive reviews of the video game Driver 3. The incident raised concerns about editorial independence.
Zillah Byng-Thorne led Future's major expansion. She was appointed chief executive in April 2014 and resigned on the 3rd of April 2023, during which time the company made numerous large acquisitions including TI Media for £140 million and GoCo plc for £594 million.
Future plc's portfolio includes TechRadar, PC Gamer, Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, Marie Claire, GamesRadar+, Android Central, CinemaBlend, Windows Central, and Gocompare.com, among many others.
In 2024, Future plc closed Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News in August, and in October closed Play, All About Space, Total 911, 3D World, and Total Film, which had been published for 27 years.