Activist David Hoffmann proposes purchase of Lee Enterprises

Hoffmann says conversations between the companies have been ongoing since October; he declined to comment on an offer price

Posted Friday, March 21, 2025 11:28 am

Katherine Hamilton | The Wall Street Journal

The Hoffmann Family of Cos. is looking to buy Lee Enterprises after increasing its stake in the media company over the past six months.

Founder and chairman David Hoffmann said in a letter to Lee Enterprises on Thursday he wants to open discussions about a potential combination of the companies. Hoffmann Cos. would pursue an acquisition of Lee Enterprises, which owns newspapers across 25 states including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Richmond Times-Dispatch.

“We see an opportunity to do something in the news industry that others are running from,” Hoffmann said in a phone interview. “We think values have bottomed and now is a good time to enter.”

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Activist David Hoffmann proposes purchase of Lee Enterprises

Hoffmann says conversations between the companies have been ongoing since October; he declined to comment on an offer price

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