Zsolt Nyerges

Zsolt Nyerges became lead co-owner, alongside Lajos Simicska, of the construction firm Közgép, which grew explosively after the 2010 change of government: the corporate group won more than 300 billion forints in state and EU tender money between 2010 and 2012, and in 2013 alone won nearly 432 billion forints worth of public procurement contracts, mostly road and rail construction projects, including work at the Paks nuclear plant. Viktor Orbán publicly defended the Nyerges-Simicska business partnership in parliament, and Fidesz's spokesperson issued an official statement congratulating Közgép on its successes. After the public 2015 break between Simicska and Orbán, Nyerges withdrew from view for a period; then in mid-2018, once Simicska capitulated and exited his businesses, Nyerges took over Simicska's entire remaining empire - including Közgép, Hír TV, and agricultural holdings - with sources describing him as clearly representing Viktor Orbán's interests in the takeover, a move expected to steer the previously government-critical Hír TV away from that stance. No criminal proceedings have been brought against Nyerges; his wealth was accumulated through official public procurement procedures.