Saudi Prince Buys Large Share of Fox News

Arutz Sheva ^ | 9/25/05 | Arutz Sheva

[Dallas59]

(IsraelNN.com) Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal has purchased 5.46 percent of the Fox corporation, according to Gulf Daily News, raising concern that the conservative Fox News may soften its anti-terror stance due to the views of the new shareholder.

Al-Waleed, the nephew of the late Saudi King Fahd, was in the news when he visited the World Trade Center's remains just after the September 11th attacks and offered then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani a $10 million check for relief efforts. Al-Waleed then released a statement blaming US foreign policy and support for Israel for the attacks.

Giuliani returned the prince's check with a statement that, "There is no moral equivalent for this attack. The people who did it lost any right to ask for justification when they slaughtered . . . innocent people ... Not only are those statements wrong, they're part of the problem."

[Sprite518]

I was wondering if there is any legal move where Fox News can tell the Saudi Scum to go pound sand, and not allow him to purchase any part of the company?

[Peach]

Thanks both. I hadn't realized any of that.

Well, shame on Fox then. Even though Murdock won't be outvoted on anything, I don't like to see Arabs get their feet in the door of OUR corporations.

[Natty Boh III]

Missing White Girl Network! It's funny 'cause it's true.

[Paul_Denton]

Fox sux. I cant take the 3 idiots in the morning. Col. Hunt, Hume and Cavuto are the only guys worth watching. Besides, with Free Republic who needs another news source?

Well Laurie Dhue is worth it whenever she's on. But I agree. FR is the best place for news.

[America First Libertarian]

Hell the saudis have $420 bn invested in America

[Dallas59]

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud
48 , self made
Source: investments
Net Worth: $23.7 bil up
Country of citizenship: Saudi Arabia
Residence: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Industry: Investments
Marital Status: married , 2 children
Menlo College, Bachelor of Arts / Science
Syracuse University, Master of Science


This savvy global investor and nephew of the Saudi king continues to thrive on deal-making—in addition to a dash of pro-American political crusading. His fortune, anchored by a $10 billion stake in Citigroup, was lifted in part by a 116% rise in the Saudi stock market in 2004. Last year he unloaded his half of New York's Plaza Hotel and plowed the profits into buying stakes in London's Savoy Hotel and Monaco's Monte Carlo Grand.

In January he helped bail out an ailing Disneyland-Paris with a $30 million cash injection. A vocal supporter of women's rights, he hired the first female airplane pilot in Saudi Arabia, a country where women still can't legally drive. Clearly pleased with his stock picking prowess, he took out ads on CNN touting his holdings. "We're telling the market all these companies are number one in their field," crows Alwaleed.

[SevenofNine]

AHH Jacko is girl?

I don't think he/she is human LOL!

Going back to Fox news THAT SUCKS I hope Roger Alies listen to this guy

[jwh_Denver]

Anyone watching it for any worthwhile news anymore is certainly wasting his/her time.

But I like being informed on Amber Alerts for a missing child 42 states away.

[corlorde]

LOL, the FOX babes will be wearing Burkas before you know it.

Then, your children and the women in your life.

Convert or die, it's all part of diversity for the infidel.

"Queer eye for the Islamic jihadi guy..."

[bert]

Believe it or don't, but the man is a "White Knight" gazillionare who also owns a lot of Citibank. He is a pure capitalist of the highest order.

His reason for buying News corp shares is to prevent a takeover by Liberty Media.

[AmishDude]

Indeed. NewsCorp is monumentally huge. I don't doubt that a Saudi prince can manage to scrape up the cash to buy 5% of NewsCorp but this article is poorly sourced if it is true.

[bert]

...I don't like to see Arabs get their feet in the door of OUR corporations.....

Don't believe all you read on Free Republic.

The corporation in question is News Corp and the actions by the Saudi in question are as ally to Rupert Murdoch to stave off a potential unwanted takeover by the American John Malone and his Liberty Media.

[Peach]

Oh, I hope that's right, bert. How do you know that?

[montag813]

Al-Waleed bin Talal

As much as I despise the Saudis, bin Talal has been a very good investor, certainly better than Buffett in recent years. Bin Talal bought 5% of Apple in 1997 at (a split-adjusted) $3 per share when it was left for dead and you can see below how well he has done on that. He turned $150 million into nearly $3 billion in 7.5 years. NewsCorp has been making money like never before yet their stock has underperformed. Perhaps the "Prince" is right yet again. Frankly I would be less worried about FoxNews's stance on terrorism and more about its stance on Hillary, now that Murdoch has aligned himself with her, and The Falafel Factor has been doing everything it can to trivialize Able Danger, and protect Gorelick.

[montag813]

Last year he unloaded his half of New York's Plaza Hotel

Interestingly enough, he sold it to an Israeli-American investor.

[hoboken109]

only this country is nuts enough to allow it's enemies to buy news coprs.
believe me ..this guy has enough $$$ to do ANYTHING he wants

[bert]

I keep up with the days events :-)

I follow the Liberty Media stock pretty close.

Here is a different version of the story.

http://www.fortune.com/fortune/articles/0,15114,1107080,00.html?promoid=yahoo

[Publius6961]

5.46% would give me control of CBS? NBC? ABC?

Shoot, with the viewership tailspin they've been in for years now, that ought to be only a few thousand bucks.

Anybody wanna chip in and buy some stock?

[muawiyah]

There was something on this a couple of weeks back. Kind of reminds me of the sort of linkage you get when you take a look at the church membership of the primary owners of the New York Times and the Washington Post and discover that this leads quickly back to Queen Elizabeth who is head of the Anglican church (and its affiliates).

BTW, there are estimates of somewhere between 5,000 and 90,000 Saudi Princes and Princesses. Grandpa Saud got around in his time Fur Shur!

[Dark Skies]

Here is a link to News Corps financial site. I did a quick scan of recent SEC filings and turned up nothing related to a Saudi purchase of that size. I can't remember the rule # but I am pretty sure that 5% plus accumulation has to be reported.

NewsCorp