C. P. Scott

Scott edited and then owned the Manchester Guardian, and wrote in 1921 that comment is free but facts are sacred. After his death and that of his son Edward, his son John transferred the family's shares to the Scott Trust in 1936, partly to avoid inheritance taxes forcing a sale. The trust, now a limited company, owns the Guardian, exists to secure its editorial independence in perpetuity and pays no dividends; it sold The Observer to Tortoise Media in 2025.