The i newspaper is owned by Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), which acquired it in 2019. DMGT is controlled by the Rothermere family, headed by Jonathan Harmsworth, the 4th Viscount Rothermere. That places the i under the same ultimate ownership as the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and Metro, despite the i occupying very different editorial territory.
Direct Answer: Who Owns The i Newspaper
DMGT bought the i in November 2019 for £49.6 million, acquiring JPIMedia Publications Ltd — the company that owned and operated the newspaper and its website, inews.co.uk. The title now sits within the DMGT portfolio alongside the group’s other national titles.
DMGT itself is no longer a public company. Following a buyout led by the Rothermere family, it was delisted from the London Stock Exchange and returned to private control. This means its ownership is now traced through Companies House filings rather than through stock market shareholding disclosures — a meaningful change for anyone researching UK press ownership, because private groups disclose considerably less.
Ownership Structure Explained
Few UK national titles have changed hands as often as the i. The chain matters because each owner left something behind:
| Period | Owner | Context |
| 2010–2016 | Independent Print Ltd (Lebedev) | Launched as a concise, low-price sister paper to The Independent. |
| 2016–2018 | Johnston Press | Bought for around £24m as The Independent moved to digital-only. |
| 2018–2019 | JPIMedia | Successor vehicle formed after Johnston Press entered administration. |
| 2019–present | DMGT | Acquired for £49.6m via the purchase of JPIMedia Publications Ltd. |
Two layers are worth separating. DMGT is the ultimate parent. The i is a title held within a subsidiary company that DMGT acquired — the transaction was a purchase of a company, not merely of a masthead. That distinction is exactly the brand versus subsidiary question, and it determines which entity carries contracts, staff and liabilities.
DMGT has continued to consolidate. In late 2025 it agreed a deal to acquire the Telegraph, which if completed further concentrates UK national newspaper ownership within the group. Anyone mapping press plurality should check the current status of that transaction rather than assume it has closed.
How to Verify the Information
1. Companies House — DMGT and the operating subsidiary. Because DMGT is private, its annual accounts and group structure notes are the primary source. Search the parent and read the subsidiary undertakings list to see which company formally holds the i.
2. The PSC register. Persons with significant control filings identify the individuals or trusts behind a private group. For family-controlled structures this is where the real answer sits, and holdings are often routed through trusts rather than held in a personal name.
3. CMA and DCMS records. Newspaper acquisitions can trigger merger review or public interest consideration. Published decisions describe ownership in detail and are dated, which makes them more reliable than undated summaries.
4. IPSO. Confirms the regulated publisher accountable for the title.
Distinguish the publisher from the editorial operation. Common ownership does not mean shared newsrooms — the i has maintained separate editorial leadership and a distinct political stance from the Mail titles since the acquisition.
Common Misunderstandings
“The i is owned by The Independent.” Not since 2016. The two titles share an origin but have been under separate ownership for years, and their present owners are entirely unconnected. See who owns The Independent.
“The i is a Daily Mail publication.” It shares an ultimate owner, not an editorial operation. The i retains its own editor, staff and centrist positioning. Shared ownership and shared editorial direction are different claims.
“DMGT is a listed company.” It was, but the Rothermere family took it private and it was delisted. Looking for its shareholder register on the London Stock Exchange will not work.
“Lord Rothermere personally owns the i.” He controls DMGT, which owns the company that holds the title. Personal control of a parent group is not the same as personal ownership of an individual asset, and the distinction matters legally.
Related Ownership Guides
- Who owns The Independent — the i’s original stablemate, now separately owned.
- Brand vs subsidiary — why buying a title usually means buying a company.
- Ultimate parent company lookup — tracing a title up to its controlling group.
FAQs
When did DMGT buy the i?
November 2019, for £49.6 million, through the acquisition of JPIMedia Publications Ltd.
Is the i editorially independent from the Daily Mail?
It operates with its own editor and newsroom and maintains a distinctly different political position, while sharing an ultimate owner.
Who is Lord Rothermere?
Jonathan Harmsworth, the 4th Viscount Rothermere, chairman of DMGT and head of the family that controls the group.
Does DMGT own the Telegraph?
DMGT agreed a deal to acquire the Telegraph in late 2025. Check current regulatory filings to confirm whether the transaction has completed before relying on it.