Billionaire media tycoon Rupert Murdoch announced his retirement as chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp. on Thursday in a memo to employees that proclaimed he is planning on turning over the reins of his empire to his son Lachlan while assuming the mostly honorary title of chair emeritus of both companies.
In his memo, he stated he would officially be stepping down in November – and then used the opportunity to complain about the "elites" he has had to deal with by writing: "Elites have open contempt for those who are not members of their rarefied class. Most of the media is in cahoots with those elites, peddling political narratives rather than pursuing the truth.”
That set off a firestorm of derision aimed at the media mogul who has an estimated worth of just over $17 billion – enough to keep him from having to clip coupons during all the free time he has coming.
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Needless to say, commenters on X, formerly known as Twitter, had a few things to say about a man who is sitting on billions when it comes to being above the common rabble.
SiriusXM host John Fugelsang cut right to the chase, writing, "Rupert Murdoch is a billionaire elite who got his Covid shot before the Queen of England got hers. His media helped elect 2 millionaires-at-birth to the presidency. One of them launched an illegal war, for a lie. The other launched a terrorist attack on our Capitol, for a lie."
Author Mark Harris was quite a bit more succinct, posting on X: "Rupert Murdoch ranting about…the elites. Words don’t mean things anymore, I guess."
"Rupert Murdoch is worth roughly $8 billion, went to Oxford, and arguably has led the most destructive media force in journalism history," journalist Jemele Hill wrote. "Him acting like he’s not a member of the ruling class is just insidious."
Kevin Kruse, a professor of history at Princeton University chimed in with, "If you’re one of the richest men in the entire world and the head of a media empire that has impacted the course of global events, you don’t get to sneer at other people as "elites'."
MSNBC personality Chris Hayes wrapped up Murdoch with a couple of other rightwing provocateurs by posting, "The thing to understand about Murdoch, and Trump, and Gaetz and so so many more is that they're all the boss' son. Got all their advantages in life from daddy and then go around with a chip on their shoulder."
Journalist Ben Jacobs pointed out, "Rupert Murdoch is a billionaire whose father was knighted by King George V."
Author Nina Burleigh provided a handy link to readers interested in taking a gander at Murdoch's 138 foot yacht that he sold for almost $30 million, adding the comment, "Hard to fathom the level of self-delusion here."
Director at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, Emily Bell, explained, "From Rupert Murdoch’s 'retirement’ statement. A paragraph which is about as dishonest as any you will read anywhere. Murdoch not only IS the elite, but ultimately decides what constitutes ‘the elite’ - gaslighting those who point out the dishonest."
