Sony Labels WPP a 'Global Crime Scheme' But Won't Return $350M Back
KEY POINTS
- •In 2025, Sony investigated WPP's rebate practices and accused them of running a global crime scheme.
- •WPP allegedly withheld up to $2 billion in rebates over five years and returned only $110 million to clients in China.
- •Whistleblower Richard Foster was fired after exposing the scheme and refused a seven-figure silence package.
In 2025, Sony hired detectives (no, not the usual ad sleuths) to sniff out WPP's media rebates. The result? An explosive claim that WPP, through its rebranded media arm GroupM—now WPP Media—ran a 'global crime scheme' stealing up to $2 billion over 5 years. Sony’s slides reveal they returned only $110 million to clients in China, while slyly stashing $350 million in a rebate vault for their own Netflix-worthy plot twists. Fired whistleblower Richard Foster turned down a seven-figure hush package to expose the scandal. WPP insists it's 'baseless,' at least until the lawyers finish their tango.
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(1 of 3)WPP's idea of client service: call it a 'global crime scheme,' hold $350 million hostage, and then fire the whistleblower with a punchline seven-figure buyout.
Sony says WPP's running a global crime circus with rebates, but WPP says 'strike a pose' and watch our legal dance.
Ah, WPP's secret recipe: take billions in ad money, skim $350 million like a magic trick, and then quietly blame the lawsuit.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 8/14/2026 | Author: Lara O'Reilly
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