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Vanguard

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The Rise of a Media Mogul: Jan Stenbeck’s Journey from Wall Street to Nordic Power Player

At 35, Jan Stenbeck appears to have it all: a prestigious career at Morgan Stanley, a glamorous life in New York, and a budding romance with American socialite Merrill McCloud. But when tragedy strikes his family in Sweden, he is thrust into a leadership role at Kinnevik, the family’s esteemed industrial group.

What follows is a high-stakes battle between tradition and innovation, as Jan’s visionary ideas clash with his siblings’ conservative approach. His relentless ambition reshapes the Nordic media and telecom landscape - breaking Sweden’s telephone monopoly and launching TV3, Scandinavia’s first commercial channel. His bold strategies don’t just transform the Nordic market, they influence global players, inspiring Rupert Murdoch’s Sky TV model and laying the groundwork for Vodafone’s rise.

However, his meteoric ascent comes at a cost. Haunted by loneliness and strained family ties, Jan’s life is as tumultuous as it is transformative. Vanguard is the story of a visionary who revolutionised modern media but paid a personal price for his groundbreaking impact.

“Money beats ideas. Politics beats money. Technology beats politics.”
Jan Stenbeck

Genres

Drama

Duration

5 x 45'

Language

English, Swedish

Cast

Jakob Oftebro, Zoe Boyle, Malin Crepin, Julia Marko Nord, Iggy Malmborg, Niklas Engdahl

Director

Goran Kapetanović

Scriptwriter

Alex Haridi, Lotta Erikson, Helene Lindholm

Production Company

FLX

Producer

Lejla Bešic

Production Year

2025

Delivery Info

Q2 2025

Vanguard is a gripping drama of high-stakes deals, groundbreaking innovation, and fierce family rivalries that shaped a media empire. With a fast-paced, cinematic approach, the series captures not just the rise of a visionary but also the personal sacrifices behind power - making it a must-watch for audiences worldwide.

Directed by Goran Kapetanović (Caliphate, The Congregation) and written by Alex Haridi (Quicksand, Love & Anarchy), Lotta Erikson (The Hunt for a Killer), and Helene Lindholm (The Hunt for a Killer), the series stars Jakob Oftebro (Black Crab, Hamilton, Kon-tiki) in the lead role, alongside Zoe Boyle (Downton Abbey, Frontier), Malin Crepin (When the Dust Settles, Oslo, August 31st), Julia Marko Nord (Borg McEnroe, Before We Die), Iggy Malmborg (Comedy Queen, Midnight Sun), and Nils Wetterholm (Young Royals, The Congregation, Caliphate). Based on Per Andersson’s acclaimed biography Stenbeck: A Biography of a Successful Businessman, the series is produced by FLX for SVT in collaboration with the N8 alliance, with Lejla Bešic (The Breakthrough, Suburbia) serving as producer. Vanguard is set to premiere in 2025. Viaplay Content Distribution handles all international sales.

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