Roger Ailes Net Worth: How Rich Was Ex-Fox News Chief When He Died?

Embattled media executive Roger Ailes died Thursday. He was 77 years old. The summer before his death, the former chief of Fox news numerous sexual harassment allegations and ultimately resigned in January as CEO of Fox News. Despite being out of a job, Ailes still had plenty of money.

The American television executive had an annual salary of $20 million per year before he stepped down from Fox News, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The network reportedly gave him a $40 million severance package. Overall, the television producer had an estimated net worth of $100 million.

Ailes’ widow, Elizabeth, released a statement that was obtained by conservative news aggregator Matt Drudge Thursday.

READ: Former Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes Dead

“I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning,” the statement read. “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. During a career that stretched over more than five decades, his work in entertainment, in politics, and in news affected the lives of many millions. And so even as we mourn his death, we celebrate his life.”

While he was beloved by his wife and son, not everyone held felt the same way. Rolling Stone Magazine compared Ailes to former Communist dictator Mao Tse-tung in 2011, accusing him of injecting “venom into the media bloodstream.”

But Ailes was unbothered. “Attacking me and Fox News is nothing new — it’s a cottage industry,” Ailes told The Hollywood Reporter in 2014. “But I won’t quit stirring things up. I saw (CBS Corp. chief) Les Moonves one night in a restaurant with my old friend (former Sirius XM Radio CEO) Mel Karmazin. They came over to my table and said: ‘We got a pool on you, Ailes. It’s up to a million dollars. Everybody wants to know when you’re going to die or retire because you’re killing us!’”

In the face of sexual assault allegations, Ailes did not address the accusations in his resignation statement.

“I take particular pride in the role that I have played advancing the careers of the many women I have promoted to executive and on-air positions,” Ailes wrote in a memo, which his lawyer Susan Estrich forwarded to Reuters. “I will not allow my presence to become a distraction from the work that must be done every day to ensure that Fox News and Fox Business continue to lead our industry.”

Some Fox News alum took to Twitter to pay their respects to Ailes. Host Sean Hannity was one of the TV personalities who mourned the loss of his former boss.

READ: Is Roger Ailes 'Law & Order SVU' Real?

“Today, America lost one of its great patriotic warriors,” Hannity tweeted. “He has dramatically and forever changed the political and the media landscape, single-handedly for the better.”

Conservative radio host Laura Ingraham also issued a statement. “Roger Ailes founded one of the most important and successful media outlets in American history,” she said. “I will miss his friendship dearly.”

At the time this article was written, a cause of death was not revealed.

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