The always well-sourced Gabriel Sherman writes in New York that Fox News CEO Roger Ailes is in talks with News Corp. about signing a new contract with the company.
No deal has yet been reached. One source familiar with the talks speculated that, given Fox’s record profits, Ailes could ask for a mega deal, worth more than $30 million per year. But another source close to Ailes explained that, for Ailes, signing a new deal is not only about the money. Ailes has to figure out what he wants to do next.
Sherman, who is working on a book about Ailes and the founding of Fox News, notes that while Ailes has sent signals that he may be ready to retire, there are plenty of good reasons for him to want to stick around.
Last year Ailes was paid a total of $21M, up +35% The Guardian reports, due to a $9M compensation payment under News Corp’s non-equity incentive plan.