UPDATED February 3, 2019. Owning a controlling interest in a news media outlet is but one of the ways the mega wealthy control the media. Another way that is becoming quite fashionable of late are billionaires funding lawsuits to take down a news outlet they see as ‘interfering’ with their interests. Case in point: billionaire Peter Theil funding Hulk Hogan’s suit against Gawker, an internet news website. Their demise came in mid-2016.

The war is on against small independent outlets who would have the audacity to express their free speech rights by writing and researching information that challenges, refutes and exposes the ‘official’ narratives or stories the corporate propaganda media chose to ignore. We now refer to these situations as ‘Fake News’ thanks to President Trump leading the charge on restoring a free and open press.

While these “captive’ news outlets will have tantrums spewing the opposite, the truth is there are none so enslaved as those who delude themselves as free. The corporate ‘oligopolies’ absolutely control 90% of what news and information sites report, write, and say. And this is what they want to call a ‘free and open’ press. Captive press is what they should be called. The expose on the corporations will be for the next installment. This article shall focus on some of the billionaire moguls who control media.

The corporate controlled media will demonize and censor whoever has free and open thoughts whenever and wherever they perceive such thoughts as a threat or potential threat to their dominance. Just ask Alex Jones and InfoWars for they’ve been exposing lies, hypocrisy and corruption of government and the masters that control them for more than two decades. When InfoWars viewership began to reach 20 million, they became too big a threat and had to be destroyed. He is but one example of many who have been silenced via censorship and lawsuits. Few can survive such an onslaught.

So who are some of the billionaire moguls that own and control the media? Many of the names we are going to expose you will recognize, others you will not. Let’s begin:

Sheldon G Adelson, The Las Vegas Review-Journal: According to Forbes Adelson amassed his $33.6 Billion net worth (2019) as founder and CEO of the Sands Corporation hotels and casinos internationally. In December 2015, he quietly purchased the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper through his son-in-law Patrick Dumont for $140 Million. In 2016, his Las Vegas Review-Journal was the only major newspaper nationwide to endorse Donald Trump for President, a move that earned him the ire from the predominately leftist democrat globalists and establishment media nationally. Negative stories about him surfaced everywhere but especially in the Las Vegas region and other major news hub publications like the Boston Globe and the New Yorker.

The media is dominated by globalists, establishment and far-left democrats who want a monopoly on opinions and ideologies consistent with their own. Adelson donated to the Donald Trump presidential campaign and other Republican candidates electoral campaigns in 2016. Adelson had been a life-long democrat but became a Republican in 2012 citing in a Wall Street Journal Op-Ed “I Didn’t Leave the Democrats, They Left Me.” Adelson still maintains his liberalism on social issues making him an establishment Republican (GOPe) and a RINO, acronym for a Republican In Name Only.

Jeff Bezos, Washington Post: Bezos founded Amazon in 1994 and Blue Origin in 2000 where it is expected to begin commercial suborbital spaceflight in 2019. He purchased WaPo in 2013 for $250 Million in cash through his creation of Nash Holdings, the entity that legally owns the newspaper. Forbes touted him as the wealthiest man in the world in 2018 and has an estimated net worth of of $137 Billion in 2019.

Bezos has a history of shady business practices and this reputation was not hindered a bit through his management of the Washington Post. Throughout his years at WaPo he was rightly accused of having conflicts of interest by unfairly controlling the paper’s content and independence. While the editorial board disputed these claims, the facts and reality of the content and strong left leanings of the paper do not justify the boards position of independence.

The papers’ move to digital is said to have made the paper profitable for the first time in 2016. However, the incessant attacks upon candidate and then President Trump probably had more to do with that profitability for its appeal to the DC beltway and far-left democrats using their new digital platform. Never forget that content is king and the media driver.

Michael Bloomberg: magnate Michael Bloomberg is a multi-billionaire with a net worth around $50 Billion. He is a far-left democrat and globalist. When mayor for New York City, he implemented his micromanagement style to city politics that highlighted his far-left globalist ideologies. He returned to the media empire he co-founded in 1981 with Charles Zegar and Thomas Secunda who also became billionaires due to their equity position in the privately held Bloomberg LP.

In 2009, Bloomberg purchased Business Week from McGraw Hill and have continued to expand into their business news coverage having more than a few thousand reporters worldwide. Other controlling interests are difficult to ascertain due to them being a private company. Shortly after his stint as mayor, Michael returned to his media empire. His dominant control over his company managed to leave his name off the Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index. How ‘bout that!

Warren Buffett, multiple regional daily papers: most know Warren Buffett as the CEO or Berkshire Hathaway and one of the most successful investors on the planet, a prolific democrat and donor to they and those who espouse their causes. His views on most issues are far-left globalist and why he is completely comfortable campaigning and being a donor for Barack Hussein Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton. He donates heavily to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation who champions vaccines that are known to cause autism in children and other adverse effects, RINO Republicans who share the ideology also are beneficiaries. Buffett is open and quite vocal in his opposition to President Donald John Trump.

In 2012, Buffett acquired 63 daily newspapers and weeklies from Media General for $142 Million and has increased his position from then. Media General has since then consolidated, merged and sold off a large portion of the newspaper business to focus on TV and cable broadcasting. Media General holding are concentrated in the South Eastern states of the US.

In addition to Media General, Buffett is invested in Liberty Media Corp who owns a variety of media, communications and entertainment businesses including Sirius XM, Barnes & Noble, Starz and a variety of TV stations; Lee Enterprises who’s focus is the mid-size markets owns 54 daily newspapers and digital products, 300 specialty publications spanning 23 states. The dailies have a 1.5 million circulation with a total reach of 4 Million people daily; 21^st Century Fox is owned by Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan discussed later in this article; Graham Holdings who owns Kaplan, an online education provider, five TV and 1 cable station. Graham’s prior ownership of the Washington Post was sold to Jeff Bezos in 2013.

Buffet claims his motive for any investing is to buy companies when their price is marked down. Will these companies survive the coming media paradigm shift? Possibly. The shift will be in management, content and digital delivery systems meaning much of what you see on the internet, YouTube, Bitchute, Brighteon and others will be moving into mainstream broadcasting, cable and more accessible digital formats. Forbes has Buffet’s net worth for 2019 to be around $84.7 Billion.

Cox Enterprises, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: founded by James Cox in 1898 the Cox Enterprises is a privately held, family owned and operated communications and automotive services business. Cox Media Group is currently run by James’ grandson Jim Kennedy, who is the son of Barbara Cox, the deceased daughter of founder James and his other daughter Anne Cox-Chambers who turned 99 in December, 2018. The children of Barbara and Anne Cox along with their cousins are employed in the enterprise and/or serve on their board of directors.

In addition to the Journal-Constitution the family owns 6 daily newspapers, over a dozen non-daily publications, 14 broadcast TV stations, 59 radio stations, the Cox Cable channel and more than 100 digital services companies. Jim Kennedy and the Cox family media companies all adhere to leftist democrat and globalist ideologies which is regularly evident in their production content. Jim Kennedy has a net worth of $9 Billion as of 2019 with Forbes estimating the net worth of Anne Cox-Chambers at $17 Billion in 2018.

Carlos Slim Helu, The New York Times: Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu owns the largest individual stake in the ‘old gray lady’ The New York Times. Slim more than doubled his holding in 2015 and now owns 17% of the Times. Talk about foreign interference! The Helu family also controls through their holding company Grupo Carso, America Movil, Latin America’s largest mobile telecom company and Telmex, the only phone company in Mexico. Forbes states Helu’s net worth as $63.7 Billion in 2019 which is around 6% of Mexico’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

John W Henry, The Boston Globe: John Henry is the owner of his own investment management firm, the Boston Red Sox baseball team as well as other sports related businesses. He purchased the Boston Globe, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, and related New England Media properties in 2013 for $70 Million in cash. The decision to purchase came days after Jeff Bezos’ purchased the Washington Post.

Henry tolerated the long 20 year history of mismanagement under the prior owner, The New York Times until Henry had enough in 2018 when he replaced nearly the entire management team including executives. The NY Times is a long-time partner and they jointly purchased the Boston Red Sox following his sale of Henry’s sale of the Florida Marlins. Henry is quoted as saying he had, “no plans to interfere with the papers sports coverage.”

At the time of the purchase, a conservative San Diego media mogul alleged that he outbid Henry for The Globe but the management of The New York Times did not accept his offer because they preferred to sell to someone who would continue the far-left “liberal” slant of the paper. Henry is a democrat establishment globalist in the same vein as the failing NY Times. Henry’s net worth in 2019 is estimated at $2.6 Billion.

Stanley Hubbard, Hubbard Broadcasting: Stanley’s father founded the company in 1925, and owns 13 TV stations and 43 radio stations across the US. Stanley grew up working in the family business with four of his five children doing the same as he. They now head the various subsidiaries while he functions as Chairman. He founded the US Satellite Broadcasting company (USSSB) which was a forerunner to DirecTV which merged with USSB in 1998.

Hubbard is a Never Trump Libertarian and RINO establishment donor though he ended up voting and donating to Donald Trump when he became the Republican nominee. Forbes lists his net worth as $2 Billion in 2019.

Rupert Murdoch, News Corp: owns one of the world’s most powerful news organizations. Australian born Murdoch is the former CEO of 21^st Century Fox who owns Fox News, Fox Business News, and Sky News. He co-chairs 21^st Century Fox with his son Lachlan Murdoch who own the Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Co., Barron’s, the New York Post and 120 newspapers and other notable publications that span the US, UK, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Papua New Guinea.

In exchange for the Saudi Arabian market, News Corp offered Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal up to a 6% stake in News Corp which after selling most of his shares his ownership dropped down to 1%. Rupert is a Never Trump GOPe establishment RINO and urged far-left democrat Michael Bloomberg to run for president against Donald Trump in 2016. Forbes estimates Murdoch’s net worth at $18 Billion in 2018.

Donald and Samuel ‘Si’ Newhouse, Advance Publications: Donald and his brother Si owned the privately held media company that controls hundreds of newspapers, magazines, cable TV and entertainment assets from their father Samuel Irving Newhouse. Si who died in 2017 had a net worth of $13 Billion. Donald now controls the Advance Publications. Forbes ranked Advance Publications as the 44^th largest privately held company in the Unites States and Crain’s ranked them 4^th largest in NYC and the 9^th largest news organizations nationally. The media company directly or indirectly owns interests in Chartered Communications, American City Business Journals, the Discovery Channel, Condé Nast digital news, Wired, Lycos, Angelfire, Tripod and Reddit.

Advance publications also owns the magazines Vogue, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair and newspapers such as The Plain Dealer, The Star-Ledger and the Oregonian. The Newhouses’ are classic liberal democrats and globalists. Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index lists Donald as having a net worth of $11.7 Billion in 2019.

Sumner and Shari Redstone, National Amusements: Sumner Redstone and his daughter Shari privately own National Amusements, a media holding company that owns 1,500 theater companies primarily located in NE United Sates, and other countries. Sumner is majority shareholder and Chairman of National Amusements. Shari currently serves as President of National Amusements and Vice Chairman of CBS Corporation, Viacom and MovieTickets.com.

In 2000, Shari entered the Russian theater market and built numerous high-end luxury theaters. She founded and chaired Rising Star Media in 2010 to purchase all the Russian theaters they built into the top grossing theater chain in Russia that was sold for $190 Million in 2011.

Sumner was forced to resign as Executive Chairman of both CBS and Viacom in February, 2016 at age 92 due to a court ordered geriatric psychiatrist examination demanded by members of the CBS board. Sumner is a life-long democrat though he voted for George W Bush in 2004 citing he’d be better for his company and the economy than John Kerry though he donated significantly to Kerry’s primary campaign. His 2019 net worth is 4.6 Billion according to Forbes.

National Amusements own Showcase & Multiplex cinemas; Viacom, CBS, MTV, BET, UPN, UIP, and Paramount Pictures. There is currently an effort by Shari Redstone to re-merge CBS with Viacom; for CBS was a spin-off of Viacom back in 2006.

Patrick Soon-Shiong, Tribune Publishing Co: A South African Chinese surgeon and Chairman of NantWorks, LLC who accumulated his wealth in pharmaceuticals and related health care services. He owns more than 200 patents internationally. In 2010 he became a minority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers; in 2011 he founded NantWorks whose mission is to converge ultra-low power semiconductor technology, supercomputing, high performance, secure advanced networks and augmented intelligence to transform how we work, play, and live.

He is fast becoming a bio-technocracy mogul which has implications for his desire to own and control media companies. In early January, 2017 he met with President-Elect Donald J Trump at his Bedminster, NJ estate to discuss national medical priorities. Could they have also discussed other media matter like the impending paradigm shift that is about to leave the corporate fake news propaganda media on the outside looking in?

In 2016 Shiong invested $70 Million in Tronc, the parent company to Tribune to stave off a hostile takeover bid by Gannett Company. His investment made him the 2^nd largest shareholder and become the Vice Chairman of the company which owns Fast Company magazine, the New York Daily News, the Los Angeles Times and The San Diego Union-Tribune. In 2018 a deal was struck for the purchase of both the LA Times and the Union-Tribune for $500 Million in cash and the assumption of $90 Million in pension obligations.

Shiong’s media motives do not appear to be content driven. Rather it appears he may want to have all the positive press he can muster for his multitude of business ventures, inventions, patents and biotech aspirations. He is positioning himself to be more recognizable in the public sphere.

Forbes estimates his 2019 net worth at $7 Billion. I must confess that of all the characters highlighted in this article, this man frightens me as more evil than any of the others. This may necessitate a more thorough exposé very soon.

Mortimer Zuckerman, US News & World Report: Mort Zuckerman began his career in real estate, and in 1984 bought US News & World Report where he remains editor-in Chief. He formally owned and sold The Atlantic Monthly magazine to David Bradly for $12 Million in 1999; sold Fast Company magazine in 2000 for $365 Million and the New York Daily News to Tronc in 2017 for assuming the roughly $30 million in liabilities and the purchase of 50% of 25 acre parcel of land in New Jersey on which the New York Daily News’ printing facility is located. In 2018 his net worth was $2.7 Billion.

While Zuckerman fancies himself a ‘centrist’ because he contributes to both parties, two-thirds of his contributions go to democrats. In addition, the strong left leaning of his publications belies that centrist perspective. He voted for Obama twice although he later criticized his infrastructure plan and his mishandling of the US economy especially the downgrading of the US Treasury debt and credit rating. His membership on the Council of Foreign Relations and relationship with the central banks place him squarely in the globalist camp.

This is the first of an ongoing series on who controls the media and why we need to be concerned. The next article will focus more on the corporations and businesses that control what we all read, see, hear and most importantly think.

References

NHN Video: 12 Media Moguls Who Control What You Read, See, Hear and Think

Forbes: These 15 Billionaires Own America’s News Media Companies

Wikipedia: The Online Encyclopedia