Fox News Chairman and 21st Century Fox CEO Roger Ailes won’t be on top of the media world, as he expected, after taking the reins after Rupert Murdoch’s retirement, reported The Huffington Post. Ailes will have to report to Murdoch’s sons, James and Lachlan.
“It has always been our priority to ensure stable, long-term leadership for the Company, and these appointments achieve that goal,” said Murdoch in a statement. “Lachlan and James are each talented and accomplished executives and together, we, as shareholders and partners, will strive to take out company to new levels of growth and opportunity at a time of dynamic change in our industry.”
Ailes and the Murdoch sons have a turbulent past, and the future will certainly be just as turbulent.
When news of the senior Murdoch’s retirement became public, Ailes said that he will continue to report to Rupert.
“My job is to report to Rupert, and I expect that to continue,” said Ailes. At one point, Ailes’ future was uncertain as there were rumors the Murdoch’s sons were likely to take over at 21st Century Fox, Ailes was eventually named the boss, or so he thought.
To make matters worse, Lachlan Murdoch had just returned to the company in 2014 after a nine-year hiatus. Lachlan left in 2005 because he had trouble working with Ailes. Ailes will have to answer to someone who has only been back with the company for one year.
The fact that Ailes wrote a statement indicating that he will continue answering to Rupert, only to be redacted by the Murdochs, is surely going to make things very unstable at Fox and awkward for Ailes. To be so wealthy, that company is horribly dysfunctional.
Ailes’ days have just gotten more miserable.
