Penguin Random House Is One Of The ‘Most Influential Companies Of 2025’
The publishing group has been included in the TIME100 list of Most Influential Companies, in the “Leaders” category.
It’s a significant recognition – since the launch of the list in 2021, only one other publishing house worldwide has received the honor: Penguin Random House has been included in this year’s TIME100 list of Most Influential Companies, published by the renowned U.S. magazine Time, in the “Leaders” category. In a letter to employees at Penguin Random House in the U.S. on Thursday, Nihar Malaviya, CEO of Penguin Random House, wrote: “This incredible honor is a testament to our leadership in standing up for free expression at a time when that freedom is increasingly under threat – not only in publishing, but across the broader media landscape.”
Featured alongside Amazon, OpenAI, and SpaceX
To fully grasp the scope of the recognition, it’s worth taking a closer look at the list of 100 companies. It includes prominent names such as Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, Bytedance, LinkedIn, Meta, Netflix, Nintendo, OpenAI, the Prada Group, Procter & Gamble, SpaceX, and Walmart. The companies are divided into five categories: Innovators, Disruptors, Leaders, Titans, and Pioneers. To compile the list, Time solicited nominations and submissions from across industries, surveyed staff and correspondents worldwide, and consulted external experts on the influence, innovation, ambition, and success of globally operating companies.
“Time” cited Penguin Random House’s leadership in the fight for free expression as a key reason for its inclusion. Against the backdrop of a growing wave of book bans in the United States – including in public schools – the publishing group has taken a clear stand. In 2024, Penguin Random House filed lawsuits in states like Florida and Iowa, challenging legislation that allows school districts to remove books with so-called inappropriate content. But the company hasn’t limited itself to legal action. It has also worked closely with libraries and educators to promote “Freedom to Read” laws, which aim to prevent books from being banned for discriminatory reasons and to safeguard access to diverse voices. During last year’s Banned Books Week, Penguin Random House also partnered with several nonprofit organizations to launch the “Banned Wagon Tour” – a mobile library packed with banned books that travelled through the American South, making stops at bookstores and libraries.
“This incredible honor is a testament to our leadership in standing up for free expression at a time when that freedom is increasingly under threat – not only in publishing, but across the broader media landscape,” wrote Nihar Malaviya, CEO of Penguin Random House, in a letter to U.S. employees. “Our mission to create books for everyone is not just about what we publish, but why we publish: to ensure that all voices have the chance to be heard, and that every reader has access to the stories and ideas that help them understand themselves and the world around them.”
