The chief executive of the largest publisher in the U.S., Penguin Random House, has stepped down. Markus Dohle oversaw the attempted acquisition of Simon & Schuster.
The deal to acquire Simon & Schuster would have made the buyer, Penguin Random House, even larger, and reduced the number of big publishers in the U.S. to four.
The government’s case blocked the merger of two of the United States’ largest publishers and reflected a more aggressive approach to curbing consolidation. It was closely watched by the publishing industry.