Fox News -- Need I say more?

As reported in News Hounds: Sean Hannity attacked two universities for accepting money from Saudi Prince Al-waleed Bin Talal for their Islamic Studies programs, $20 million dollars each, according to a number of sources. What Sean forgot to mention was that that very same Prince owns over 5% of the parent company of Fox News, News Corporation. By News Corporation's own press release (from 1999), his investment was worth over 1.4 billion dollars. If 20 million might come with "...with some type of strings attached...", what does 1.4 billion come with?

[Edit]
It's important to note that News Corp is really Rupert Murdoch's baby, and he's been threatened recently by LIberty Media taking a 18% voting stock share in News Corp. Al-waleed's 5.46% represents an important hedge against a potential hostile takeover bid, as the good Prince has publicly indicated his support for Murdoch

[Edit, again]

Some sources are presenting Al-waleed's purchase as having happened in September 2005, but that doesn't jibe with the News Corp press release I've linked above. AIM's website seems to indicate that the purchase was recent, as well.

Ok, I think I've got it sorted out. His original investment was the 1999 $1.4 billion. He recently bumped up his investment to include 5.46% of the voting shares in News Corp.

Not directly related, but an example of how things get mis-reported: This site, "The Ultimate Middle East business resource" reports:

"In the Western world, Prince Al Waleed holds 49% shares of News Corp, the corporation that owns Fox TV, B Sky B TV, Star TV, 20th Century Fox studios, Harper Collins Company, as well as the newspapers New York Post, The Times, and The Sunday Times."

Wow! 49%, huh? Somehow, I think Rupert Murdoch wouldn't sit still for that.