No longer nestled in his prime-time perch at Fox News, Tucker Carlson appears to be getting by with a little help from his friends. The former Fox host and his team are reportedly in talks with conservative mega-donors Rebekah Mercer and Peter Thiel about funding a new media company he is launching with Republican political adviser Neil Patel. While Mercer and Thiel have yet to commit to the project publicly, both have expressed interest behind the scenes, according to a CNBC report published Tuesday that cited anonymous sources familiar with the discussions. Carlson and Patel are reportedly seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for the yet-to-be-named company. (Neither Thiel, Mercer, nor Carlson responded to CNBC’s requests for comment.)
Mercer’s potential investment is especially notable. Once described by Politico as “the most powerful woman in GOP politics,” the hedge fund heiress has previously invested in the conservative news site Breitbart News and helped forge the careers of right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos and Trumpworld kingmaker Steve Bannon. In 2018, Mercer used her fortune to cofound the social media site Parler, a Twitter rival whose platform was used to help organize the Capitol riot.
The CNBC report noted that Mercer has been talking with Carlson since Fox News fired him in April following the network’s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.
As for Thiel, the tech billionaire has focused much of his political spending on conservative candidates. Recently, however, the PayPal cofounder has also reportedly contributed to a number of right-wing media projects, including the conservative quarterly American Affairs, the “heterodox” online magazine Quillette, and an “anti-woke” film festival.
Should Thiel donate to Carlson’s ambitious media venture, it would not be without precedent: In 2018, he reportedly considered launching a conservative cable news network, though nothing came of it, according BuzzFeed News. (It’s unclear whether Carlson and Thiel have talked about funding directly, but CNBC reported that Thiel deliberated with allies about the idea “after hearing from Carlson’s side.”)
Since leaving Fox News, Carlson has continued sharing commentary videos on X, the social media company formerly known as Twitter. As CNBC reported last month, his Tucker on Twitter show has already landed a more than $1 million partnership deal with Public Square, a right-wing shopping platform run by Omeed Malik. According to CNBC, Malik has also been planning on investing eight figures in Carlson’s media company through 1789 Capital, an investment fund where Mercer reportedly serves as an executive officer. Given Mercer’s role at the firm, any further funding she provides to Carlson could build upon the amount already being planned by 1789 Capital, CNBC noted.
Meanwhile, though Carlson has denied having any interest in seeking public office, that has not stopped one of his high-profile fans from urging the pundit to pursue the presidency. “If Tucker went to run in 2028, he could win,” popular podcaster Joe Rogan remarked recently. “He’s sort of a no-nonsense guy who exposes bullshit in pretty humorous way. In a very insightful and biting way.”
Caleb Ecarma
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