Roger Ailes, Former CEO Of Fox News Dies At 77
The former CEO of Fox News, Roger Ailes, died Thursday at the age of 77, his wife Elizabeth Ailes shared in a statement without revealing the cause or place of death.
"I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning," Elizabeth said in the statement. "Roger was a loving husband to me, to his son Zachary, and a loyal friend to many. He was also a patriot, profoundly grateful to live in a country that gave him so much opportunity to work hard, to rise -- and to give back."
Ailes became CEO of Fox News since it was founded in1996, where he was a pivotal character in building up the media powerhouse. He held the position until 2016, when he resigned due to allegations of sexual harassment from Gretchen Carlson, a former news anchor. Other such allegations had been made against him in the past.
While many on social media are coming together to mourn Ailes, there are those who are looking back on him with distaste due to his sexual harassment history.
Aside from his work with Fox News, Ailes was also known for being a media consultant for several past presidents, such as Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. More recently, he worked on debate preparations in the presidential campaign of now president, Donald Trump.
Ailes leaves behind his wife, along with their son, Zachary Ailes. His cause of death is said to have been from a blood clot that he received during a fall, according to a Twitter posted by reporter Gabriel Sherman citing two family friends. Sherman also reports that he died in Palm Beach, Florida. In his 2013 biography, Ailes, who had hemophilia, discussed his inevitable death saying that "I've been prepared to face death all of my life. When it comes, I'll be fine, calm. I'll miss life, though. Especially my family."
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Elizabeth and the rest of the Alies family.
