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Fox News Employees React to Roger Ailes Death

Roger Ailes / Getty Images
May 18, 2017

Fox News employees reacted on social media Thursday to the news that the network's founder, former CEO and chairman Roger Ailes, had passed away at the age of 77.

Ailes' wife Elizabeth released a statement on Thursday announcing his death.

"I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning," she wrote. "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."

Several of his former employees expressed their grief about the news.

Hannity released a statement thanking Ailes for helping build his career, calling him a "second father." He also torched Ailes' "enemies" and said that the departed media titan had a "head start in preparing to kick your ass in the next life."

Ailes, who founded Fox News in 1996 and built it into a media powerhouse, was ousted from the network in July 2016 amid a string of sexual harassment complaints.

MSNBC host Al Sharpton also tweeted out a eulogy to Ailes as a worthy adversary.

Update: 11:43 A.M.: This article has been amended to include Al Sharpton's tweets and a video reading out Sean Hannity's statement.

Published under: Fox News , Media