For a man who once admitted he didn’t know how much he was paid, a role leading a public service broadcaster that publishes its managers’ salaries could be perfect.
Ex-Google chief Matt Brittin has emerged as a dark horse to become the next BBC director general after two leading candidates ruled themselves out of contention.
A source with knowledge of the process identified Mr Brittin as the ‘prime candidate’ to have advanced to the later stages.
‘He is a very plausible contender,’ they said.
‘His big challenge will be to convince Samir Shah [the BBC chairman] that he understands public service broadcasting. His background is all in tech, and big tech is the enemy of the BBC.’
Mr Brittin, 57, left Google last year after 18 years at the tech giant, the last ten as president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Industry insiders are talking up his chances of succeeding Tim Davie, who resigned in November after criticism over a misleading Panorama edit of a speech by Donald Trump.
It also comes as Apple TV executive Jay Hunt and former Channel 4 chief Alex Mahon are understood to have ruled themselves out.
Matt Brittin is tipped as the favourite to take over as the BBC’s director general
If successful, Mr Brittin, who was part of the British rowing team at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, could expect a package comparable to the £540,000 to £544,999 earned by Mr Davie.
In 2016, Mr Brittin told MPs on the public accounts committee that he had no idea how much he was paid – while being questioned about a tax deal between HMRC and Google.
After stepping down from the tech giant, he said he planned to take a ‘mini gap year’.
He said: ‘I hope to apply what I’ve learnt about technology and leadership to help people make the most of this wave of innovation in education, business, science and society — from different vantage points.’
Then, in February 2025, Brittin joined Guardian Media Group’s board as a non-executive director.
Davie is said to have spoken favourably about Mr Brittin in the past, though there are some who have reservations about appointing a tech boss to the top job at a content company.