A day after media magnate Rupert Murdoch announced his retirement, former prime minister Tony Abbott has been proposed to the board of directors of Fox Corporation.
A media statement issued on Saturday revealed that the nomination will be discussed by shareholders at the media behemoth’s annual meeting in November.
Peggy Johnson, a technology executive, was also nominated alongside Mr. Abbott.
In one of his first public remarks since succeeding his father and taking the helm of Fox Corp., Lachlan Murdoch expressed his appreciation for the nominations.
They “bring to the board skills, experience, and perspectives that will benefit Fox.”
The declaration referred to Mr. Abbott’s roles as the 28th prime minister of Australia, the Liberal Party’s leader from 2009 to 2015, and an advisor to the UK Board of Trade since 2020.
After 25 years in office, Mr. Abbott lost his Warringah seat in the 2019 federal election.
The meeting with the most powerful person in the world when visiting the US is a well-traveled route for Australian prime ministers. They typically also have meetings with the US president.
Eight people make up the Fox Corporation board; Jacques Nasser and Anne Dias will retire after the following annual meeting.
Paul Ryan, a former Republican vice presidential candidate, and Chase Carey, a former chairman of Formula 1, are two additional board members.
The family business will be run by Rupert Murdoch’s son Lachlan, who will continue to serve as chairman emeritus of Fox Corp.
The 92-year-old left behind a “shocking” legacy, according to former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who claimed he had stoked the “anger-tainment ecosystem” and left the country more divided than it has been since the Civil War. We’ve reached out to Mr. Abbott for comment.
