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.
Millions flowed to Megafon Center
Founded in 2020, Megafon Center aimed to promote conservative ideas by training social media influencers to communicate pro-government messages online. The organization became a significant force in Hungary’s digital political environment, using advertising and influencer campaigns to reach large audiences.
Previous reporting by the Hungarian outlet Telex found that Megafon spent more on Facebook political advertising than Fidesz and the Hungarian government. Its advertising expenditure approached $6 million in 2024.
Despite its substantial spending, Megafon did not publicly disclose its donors and previously claimed that it received no public funding.
Direkt36’s investigation identified financial transfers from companies associated with Mészáros, including the railway construction giant V-Híd Zrt. According to the report, these businesses transferred billions of Hungarian forints to Megafon from at least 2022 onward. The contributions reportedly accounted for approximately one-third of the organization’s revenue during the period examined.
The records provide previously undisclosed details about the financial relationship between Mészáros-linked companies and the political influence organization. Although the findings do not establish that Orbán personally directed the donations, they reveal the scale of financial support provided by a business empire that expanded significantly during his years in power.
Donations surrounded the 2022 election
The documents show that V-Híd contributed nearly $1 million to Megafon as early as 2022. Another Mészáros-linked company reportedly provided almost $300,000 shortly before Hungary’s parliamentary election in April of that year.
The timing attracted attention because social media advertising had become an increasingly important tool for political campaigns, allowing influencers to distribute messages directly to voters.
The financial relationship continued in 2023. In February, Megafon founder István Kovács emailed V-Híd’s chief executive to thank the company for its previous support.
“On behalf of the entire Megafon team, I would like to once again thank you for your previous support,” Kovács wrote, according to records reviewed by Direkt36.
About a week later, V-Híd’s finance department transferred another $1.4 million to Megafon. The company reportedly made an additional payment of $1.1 million several months afterward.
The donations continued into 2024. Internal emails reviewed by Direkt36 indicated that V-Híd provided approximately $9 million to Megafon that year, alongside other proposed contributions to the organization and its staff.
Representatives of V-Híd and Megafon did not respond to Direkt36’s requests for comment, leaving their explanations for the reported transactions unavailable.
How Mészáros built his business empire
Mészáros’s rise has long been associated with his close relationship with Orbán. A former gas fitter and local mayor, he became one of Hungary’s most powerful business figures as his companies expanded into construction, infrastructure, finance and other industries.
Government contracts played a major role in the growth of his business empire, making him a prominent figure in debates about political connections and public procurement.
Mészáros acknowledged Orbán’s role in his success in a 2014 interview with Heti Válasz magazine.
“God, luck, and Viktor Orbán certainly played a role in getting me to where I am today,” he said, while maintaining that he had earned his achievements through his own work and intelligence.
His railway construction company, V-Híd, has received substantial public contracts for railway modernization and highway infrastructure projects. According to Direkt36, the company generated more than $74 million in profit in the previous year covered by its reporting, despite its website listing no commercial projects.
The reported donations to Megafon have intensified questions about how businesses benefiting from public spending support organizations involved in political messaging. The investigation does not establish that the contributions were illegal, but the financial links highlight the importance of transparency in corporate donations.
Lavish travel and private jets
The Megafon funding is part of a broader investigation by Direkt36 into Mészáros’s business activities and spending.
Separate reporting found that V-Híd spent more than $3.5 million on foreign travel in recent years. The trips reportedly included destinations across Europe, Dubai, the United Arab Emirates and Tajikistan’s Pamir Mountains, a popular destination for hunting.
The travel spending has attracted scrutiny because V-Híd primarily operates in Hungary. Direkt36 also reported that a trust managing assets for Mészáros-linked companies owned two private jets frequently used by the billionaire.
These findings add to broader concerns about the use of wealth accumulated by companies receiving substantial government contracts. While luxury travel and private aircraft do not independently demonstrate wrongdoing, the scale of the reported expenditure has drawn attention to the financial activities of Hungary’s politically connected business elite.
József Péter Martin, executive director of Transparency International Hungary, described the relationship between public contracts, corporate wealth and political influence as a “vicious cycle.”
He argued that Mészáros’s companies benefit from public procurement and then use their resources to support an organization that helps Fidesz maintain power through online propaganda.
Hungary’s media landscape under pressure
During Orbán’s 16 years in power, his government and political allies gained substantial influence over Hungary’s media environment. Public broadcasters faced criticism for favorable coverage of the government, while numerous private outlets became part of a media network controlled by businesspeople aligned with Fidesz.
Megafon added a digital dimension to this system by training pro-government influencers and financing online advertising campaigns. Its activities helped conservative voices reach audiences through social media, where political messages can spread rapidly beyond traditional news outlets.
The newly disclosed financial records suggest that companies associated with a major beneficiary of government contracts supplied a significant share of the resources supporting this online operation.
The case also raises questions about donor transparency. When organizations spend millions of dollars on political advertising without publicly identifying their financial backers, voters may struggle to understand whose interests support the messages they encounter online.
Greater disclosure could help journalists and watchdog groups examine potential conflicts of interest between government contractors and politically influential organizations.
Megafon’s future after Orbán’s political setback
Hungary’s political landscape changed following Péter Magyar’s election victory, which challenged the political system Orbán had dominated for years.
Megafon had pledged to continue operating but shut down its website in August following mass layoffs. A prominent staff member later described the closure as “inevitable,” although the precise reasons for the organization’s decline remain unclear.
The future of Megafon’s operations and funding is uncertain. Nevertheless, the investigation has documented a substantial financial relationship between Mészáros-linked companies and an organization that played a prominent role in Hungary’s online political messaging.
The reported $13.5 million in donations highlights broader concerns about the connections between public procurement, private fortunes and political influence.
Although the findings do not resolve every question about the relationship between Mészáros, Megafon and Fidesz, they reveal how money from a powerful business network helped finance a major pro-government influence operation. The case underscores the need for greater transparency in political funding and stronger public scrutiny of the financial relationships linking wealthy businesspeople to organizations that shape democratic debate.
Jennifer Hicks is a columnist and political commentator writing on a large range of topics.