Hungary’s richest oligarch allegedly funneled $13.5 million into Orbán’s online propaganda network

Companies owned by Hungarian billionaire Lőrinc Mészáros, a longtime ally and friend of former prime minister Viktor Orbán, transferred approximately $13.5 million to Megafon Center, a right-wing organization known for promoting pro-government messages on social media, according to an investigation by Direkt36, an independent Hungarian investigative outlet and media partner of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

The investigation, based on confidential financial records, donation agreements, receipts and internal emails, reveals how businesses linked to one of Hungary’s wealthiest individuals allegedly provided substantial funding to an organization that supported the ruling Fidesz party’s online communication efforts.

The findings raise questions about the relationship between public contracts, private wealth and political influence in Hungary, where Orbán’s government faced years of criticism over its control of the media landscape.