Tucker Carlson may be out of a job as of Monday, April 24, but his bank account certainly won’t be crying out for help anytime soon.
The popular Fox News host was dismissed from Fox earlier this week in a move that came as a shock not just to his legions of fans, but also to the popular anchor himself.
According to reports, the 50-year-old had no idea he was going to be dismissed, and wasn’t told exactly why he was losing his job when he was called by CEO Suzanne Scott on Monday morning.
As expected, the internet erupted in disbelief after the news was announced, and it now remains to be see where Carlson will take his services – and his strong fan following – next.
Irrespective of his next destination, however, the conservative political commentator won’t want for cash anytime soon. New reports appear to suggest that Carlson will be paid out the remainder of his current contract with Fox News, which could well equate to a truly obscene amount of money.
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Fox News released a brief statement on Monday to announce that their immensely popular host Tucker Carlson had had been given the boot.
“FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” the organization said. “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”
His dismissal comes mere days after Fox News agreed to pay a $787.5 million settlement in Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged that Fox News personalities, including Carlson, made false claims that the company’s voting machines were rigged against former president Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
Carlson was not apparently aware of Fox’s plans when he signed off of his show last Friday.
To end his show prior to the weekend, Carlson said: “That’s it for us for the week; we’ll be back.”
Jason Koerner / Stringer
His final words as a Fox News host were: “We’ll be back on Monday. In the meantime, have the best weekend with the ones that you love, and we’ll see you then.”
When Monday rolled around, however, it was guest host Brian Kilmeade sitting in Carlson’s seat. He told viewers: “As you probably have heard, Fox News and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. I wish Tucker the best. I’m great friends with Tucker and always will be.”
At the time of writing, Carlson has not issued a statement regarding his dismissal, though he removed all mention of Fox from his Twitter bio.
Among those who have made their voices heard are Carlson’s many fans, who reacted in their droves after word of his dismissal reached the general public.
In fact, reports today suggest Fox Corporation’s worth as a public company has sunk more than $500 million after their decision to give Carlson his marching orders.
Not only that, but it’s said Fox will pay out the 53-year-old for the remainder of his contract, most recently renewed in 2021.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, in his role as host of Tucker Carlson Tonight, Carlson was raking in anywhere between $15 million and $20 million a year. Vanity Fair, meanwhile, claimed that Carlson was in the process of renegotiating his contract through till 2029.
Though it’s not clear how many years he had left on his current deal – high-profile media hosts usually negotiate contracts of between one and six year years – it makes sense to assume Fox will be paying out a certified fortune having decided to terminate his contract early.
Brian Stelter, currently writing a book about Fox called Network of Lies, said: “Tucker Carlson had become even bigger than Fox News.
“His sudden ouster will have profound consequences for Fox News, for TV news and the Republican Party.”
Indeed, uncertain times lay ahead for Fox and Tucker Carlson. We’ll certainly be watching the situation unfold with a high degree of intrigue.
How about you? Were/are you a fan of Tucker Carlson? Did you watch his show? If so, let us know how you feel about his dismissal in the comments box.
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