Initially, Le Figaro was a satirical newspaper launched on January 15, 1826. It was named after the barber character from the opera The Barber of Seville and Figar’s Pir. After 40 years of irregular publication, it was turned into a daily newspaper. One of the first editors was Albert Wolff, Émile Zola and Jules Claretie, and Filippo Tommaso Marinetti published his Futurist Manifesto in Le Figaro, launching futurism.
In 2004, it was bought by politician and airline owner Serge Dassault, who has control of about 70 newspapers in France. Following the takeover of Le Figaro, he forbade reporters to publish negative articles about him and his businesses, which has drawn a lot of criticism.
In March 2015, the Leading European Newspaper Alliance (LENA) was formed to promote quality journalism. Le Figaro was one of the co-founders and is a member of: Die Welt, La Repubblica, El País, Le Soir, Tages-Anzeiger and Tribune de Genève.
According to the 2014 edition, 320,000 copies were printed. Attendance on internet editions is very high, with 2016 revenue of € 40 million.
Le Figaro is a famous French daily newspaper today. In social terms, they belong to the conservative current, but in the economy they represent liberal views. In addition to Le Monde, they are considered the most influential newspaper in France. It is also the oldest newspaper in the country to be published without interruption.
