As of this writing, that equates to roughly 11 American cents, and Qviberg is reported to have taken a loss of about $8 million in making the sale, if you factor in a shareholder’s contribution he’d previously made to “ensure that Metro can continue on its chosen path.” The sale comes as Qviberg and his relationship to the newspaper are the subject of controversy in Sweden, after an interview with Qviberg appeared on a “right-wing populist” website called Nyheter Idag. The controversy had big consequences for the newspaper, and Qviberg was presented with an ultimatum by Ager-Hannsen to the effect that he either needed to clear up the controversy or sell his shares. He chose the latter, and Ager-Hannsen characterized the exchange like this: Despite the controversy and his huge financial loss, Qviberg told another publication that he was “very satisfied with the deal even if it was very short and expensive,” adding that he previously had no idea how much time and attention owning a newspaper would require.
