Roger Ailes built Fox News into a $2B empire — and was fired for harassment

Roger Ailes built Fox News from a startup in 1996 into the most-watched and most profitable cable news network in the United States, generating over $2 billion in annual revenue. But under Ailes's leadership, the network fostered a culture of harassment and intimidation that was an open secret within the organization.

In July 2016, former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a harassment lawsuit against Ailes, alleging he had retaliated against her for rejecting his advances. Within days, other women — including anchor Megyn Kelly — came forward with similar allegations. 21st Century Fox hired a law firm to investigate.

Ailes was forced to resign within 10 days of Carlson's lawsuit, receiving a $40 million exit package. Fox News later settled with Carlson for $20 million and paid $32 million to settle a separate harassment claim against host Bill O'Reilly. The case illustrated how a culture of harassment can be sustained by a powerful leader's control over careers, and how the financial success of a business can mask the human cost of its culture.