William Maxwell "Max" Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, was an Anglo-Canadian business tycoon, politician, and writer. Lord Beaverbrook held a tight grip on the British media as an influential Press Baron, owning The Daily Express newspaper, as well as the London Evening Standard and the Sunday Express. His political career included serving as a Minister in the British Government during both world wars. Beaverbrook was an influential and often mentioned figure in British society of the first half of the 20th century.