What is Ludo Van Thillo?
{{Infobox person | name = Ludo Van Thillo | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1931|2|2|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Borgerhout]], Netherlands | death_date = {{death date and age|2022|12|4|1931|2|2|df=y}} | death_place = [[Hove]], Netherlands | monuments = | residence = | nationality = Dutch | occupation = businessman | known_for = | relatives = | awards = }} '''Ludo Van Thillo''' (2 February 1931 – 4 December 2022) was a Belgian businessman. In the 1970s and 1980s, he founded the company that was the beginning of [[DPG Media]], which his son Christian would later expand.<ref name=ref9>{{cite web|url=https://www.tijd.be/ondernemen/media-marketing/ludo-van-thillo-stamvader-van-media-imperium-dpg/10433876.html |title=Ludo Van Thillo, stamvader van media-imperium DPG|work=[[VRT]]|date=10 December 2022|access-date=10 December 2022|language=nl}}</ref> ==Biography== Van Thillo was born in [[Borgerhout]] in 1931. He was a son of [[Cyriel Van Thillo]], who bought publisher Patria in 1950. His brother was [[Herman Van Thillo]], who was active in the financial sector and also a [[Senate (Belgium)|senator]] for the [[Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten]] (VLD). The [[Van Thillo|Van Thillo family]] owned the magazines ''[[Dag Allemaal]]'' and ''[[Joepie]]''. In 1956, Van Thillo and his brother Joris became the owners of the family business, after their father had split the company into two parts: Printing and Rotogravure Astra; and Publisher Sparta. In 1987, the family, led by Ludo Van Thillo, bought the majority of Publisher Hoste, owner of the newspaper ''[[Het Laatste Nieuws]]''. In 1987, the company joined eight other shareholders in founding the [[Medialaan]], the broadcasting company behind television channel [[VTM (TV channel)|VTM]]. In 1989, Ludo Van Thillo stepped back ans his son [[Christian Van Thillo]] took over the business.<ref name=ref1>{{cite web|url=https://trends.knack.be/economie/bedrijven/ludo-van-thillo-erevoorzitter-van-dpg-media-overleden/article-belga-1920497.html |