Exclusive: Sam Zell Calls Top Tribune Exec An Overpaid 'Motherfucker'
Sam Zell, the touchy billionaire and Tribune Co. chief, doesn't just cuss out uppity journalists, he also berates disfavored Tribune Co. executives. At his Jan. 31 meeting with Orlando Sentinel staff, before he muttered "fuck you" to a journalist, Zell enthusiastically imitated a Tribune Co. executive who needed to be told what to do and was demanding instructions. He concludes, to raucous applause from the audience, that "this motherfucker makes $750,000!" The executive is never named, a dignity not afforded the lowly journalist Zell targeted, and it is unclear from Zell's confused narrative if the exec spoke to Zell or to a Zell informer. But Zell fingers the exec as one of the top six Tribune Co. executives. Is the story fabricated for effect, or is Zell talking about a real person? A pre-merger proxy statement shows two different executives clustered near $750,000 in total annual compensation. If you think you know who Zell is talking about, we'd love to hear at tips@gawker.com.