Target company: Axel Springer SE; Bidder: Traviata II S.à r.l.

Dissemination of an announcement according to the German Securities 
Acquisition and Takeover Act (WpÜG), transmitted by DGAP - a service of 
EQS Group AG.
The bidder is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Publication of the decision
to make a takeover offer


Publication of the decision to make a voluntary public takeover offer
(freiwilliges öffentliches Übernahmeangebot) pursuant to Section 10 para. 1
and para. 3 in conjunction with Section 29 para. 1 and Section 34 of the
German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act (Wertpapiererwerbs- und
Übernahmegesetz)


Bidder:

Traviata II S.à r.l.
2, rue Edward Steichen
L-2540 Luxembourg
Luxembourg

Target:

Axel Springer SE
Axel-Springer-Straße 65
10888 Berlin
Germany

Registered with the commercial register (Handelsregister) of the
local court (Amtsgericht) of Charlottenburg under 154517 B

ISIN: DE0005501357, DE0005754238

Traviata II S.à r.l. (the 'Bidder') decided on 12 June 2019 to make a
voluntary public takeover offer to all shareholders of Axel Springer SE
(the 'Company') for the acquisition of all non-par value registered shares
in the Company (ISIN: DE0005501357, DE0005754238), each share representing
a proportionate amount of EUR 1.00 of the share capital of the Company (the
'Axel Springer Shares') against payment of a cash consideration in the
amount of EUR 63.00 per Axel Springer Share (the 'Takeover Offer').

The Bidder is a holding company owned by funds advised by Kohlberg Kravis
Roberts & Co L.P. It has today entered into an investor agreement with the
Company as well as holding companies of Dr. h.c. Friede Springer and the
chairman of the executive board Dr. Mathias Döpfner regarding a future
cooperation. The Bidder today also entered into an agreement with Dr. h.c.
Friede Springer and Dr. Mathias Döpfner pursuant to which, subject to the
successful closing of the Takeover Offer, the parties will act in concert
in relation to the Company (the 'Agreement'). As a result of the
coordination of voting rights under the Agreement, the Bidder, Dr. h.c.
Friede Springer and Dr. Mathias Döpfner will jointly control the Company,
subject to the successful closing of the Takeover Offer.

The offer document (in German and a non-binding English translation)
containing the detailed terms and conditions of the Takeover Offer, as well
as further information relating thereto, will be published by the Bidder
following permission by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority
(Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht) on the internet at the
Bidder's website www.traviata-angebot.de.

The consummation of the Takeover Offer will be subject to certain
conditions. This includes reaching a minimum acceptance threshold of 20 %
of the share capital of the Company. Furthermore the Takeover Offer will be
made subject to merger control and other regulatory clearances as well as
other customary conditions.

The Bidder reserves the right to instruct the settlement agent engaged for
the technical settlement of the Takeover Offer to transfer the shares of
the company, for which the Takeover Offer has been accepted, from the
settlement agent directly to a subsidiary (Tochterunternehmen) of the
Bidder, which agrees to jointly participate in the settlement of the
Takeover Offer.

The Takeover Offer will be made on and subject to the terms and conditions
set out in the offer document and the Bidder reserves the right, to the
extent permissible by law, to deviate from the above described parameters.

Important notice:

This announcement is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an
offer to sell shares in the Company. The definite terms and conditions of
the Takeover Offer, as well as further provisions concerning the Takeover
Offer, will be published in the offer document following permission by the
German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für
Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht) to publish the offer document. Investors and
holders of shares in the Company are strongly advised to read the offer
document and all other documents regarding the Takeover Offer when they
become available, as they will contain important information.

The Takeover Offer will be published exclusively under the laws of the
Federal Republic of Germany and certain applicable provisions of U.S.
takeover laws. Any contract concluded on the basis of the Takeover Offer
will be exclusively governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany
and is to be interpreted in accordance with such laws.

To the extent permissible under applicable law or regulation, and in
accordance with German market practice, the Bidder, its affiliates or its
brokers may purchase, or conclude agreements to purchase, Axel Springer
Shares, directly or indirectly, outside of the scope of the public Takeover
Offer, before, during or after the period in which the offer remains open
for acceptance. This applies to other securities which are directly
convertible into, exchangeable for, or exercisable for Axel Springer
Shares. These purchases may be completed via the stock exchange at market
prices or outside the stock exchange at negotiated conditions. If such
purchases or arrangements to purchase are made they will be made outside
the United States and will comply with applicable law, including the US
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Any information on such purchases will be
disclosed as required by law or regulation in Germany or any other relevant
jurisdiction and on http://www.traviata-angebot.de.

Luxembourg, 12 June 2019

Traviata II S.à r.l.

End of WpÜG announcement

End of WpÜG announcement

The 12.06.2019 DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, 
Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Archive at www.dgap.de

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