"The $100 million whistleblower lawsuit Richard Foster filed against WPP last November is back in focus. New court filings - including WPP's motion to dismiss and exhibits that place Foster's own internal documents into the public record for the first time - have added significant texture to both sides of a case that initial headlines only scratched the surface of."
"Foster claims GroupM, which according to the complaint controlled roughly $60 billion in annual client ad spend at its peak, ran a hidden profit center by systematically retaining rebates that should have gone back to advertisers. Allegedly, GroupM's media trading arm would aggregate client budgets to hit volume thresholds with vendors, triggering rebates in the form of free or discounted inventory."
"Foster spent 17 years at GroupM, ending as global CEO of Motion Content Group - the division that co-produced Love Island, managed roughly $500 million in annual entertainment investment, and by his own filed data was posting 140% US revenue growth in his final year. He was fired on July 10, 2025, the day after WPP's stock dropped 18% on a trading update disclosing serious deterioration at WPP Media. He filed suit in November 2025 against WPP and GroupM (since rebranded WPP Media),"
Richard Foster filed a whistleblower lawsuit seeking at least $100 million after his July 10, 2025 firing. New court filings and exhibits placed Foster's internal documents into the public record, including a report to GroupM CEO Brian Lesser containing client opt-in rates, platform spend, and income targets. Foster alleges GroupM controlled roughly $60 billion in client ad spend and ran a hidden profit center by retaining rebates intended for advertisers, reclassifying inventory as "proprietary media," selling it back via opt-in agreements, and booking the spread as non-product related income, generating billions.
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