Hungarian billionaire’s firm donated $863,000 to pro-Orbán political advertising agency

From the report

A company owned by Hungarian construction billionaire László Szíjj donated approximately $863,000 to Megafon, a political advertising agency known for promoting former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party. The payments, revealed in company financial statements reviewed by investigative journalists, highlight the financial connections between wealthy business figures and political media organizations in Hungary.

The disclosures come as Hungary undergoes a major political transition following Orbán’s electoral defeat in April 2026, ending his 16 years in power. Since then, Megafon has significantly reduced its public presence, while the new government has begun changing the state advertising practices that supported parts of the former ruling party’s media network.

The payments were documented in two years of annual financial statements from Vakond Via Kft., a company belonging to Szíjj’s business interests. The records, examined by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Hungarian investigative outlet Direkt36, show that Vakond Via provided a total of 300 million Hungarian forints in cash grants to Megafon Digital Incubator Center.