Fox News icon makes major move after acrimonious exit

Maria Bartiromo sold her Upper East Side townhome two months after her Fox ouster. Realtor.com reports she sold her townhome for $7 million. She and her husband, financier Jonathan Steinberg, purchased the five-level townhouse for $6.5 million in 2007. At the time of the purchase, The Observer described the home as a "five-bedroom house" with a "second-floor balcony overlooking the 39-foot-long backyard garden."

Fox News Media announced Bartiromo’s exit in a social media post, thanking her for her twelve and a half years with the company. "We thank Maria for her work over the last 12½ years and wish her all the best on her next chapter," the brief statement read. She had not appeared on any of Fox News Media's programs since Aug. 9. Her firing was reportedly "a business decision."

DailyBeast would later report she upset Fox executives after sharing confidential network information with the Trump administration. She reportedly informed the Trump White House that Fox executives had instructed the network’s anchors not to promote President Donald Trump’s crazed election conspiracies on the air the morning after he gave a speech airing more conspiracies.

Bartiromo’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said claims that she had been fired or no longer worked at Fox were “absolutely and unequivocally false,” per NPR. Axios later reported that President Trump first wanted Bartiromo as press secretary before choosing Katie Zacharia, and that Bartiromo turned down the role. Zacharia was ousted from the role after just five days in office. Prior to her work with Fox, Bartiromo worked for two decades at CNBC.

Bartiromo responded to the announcement of her exit in a September 10 Instagram post, writing, "Before too much time passes, I want to thank all of my friends, followers, and supporters for all of the kind words. I am so grateful for the outpouring of love this week on social media and through texts." She reportedly earned a hefty salary of $6 million annually with the company, hosting various programs including Mornings with Maria, Maria Bartiromo's Wall Street, and Sunday Morning Futures.

Fox replaced Bartiromo with rotating anchors. Larry Kudlow serves as a temporary filler. The network also renamed two of Bartiromo’s shows as Mornings with FOX Business and FBN's Wall Street.

As for what she will do next, she is set to appear at the America Business Forum at the Kaseya Center in Miami on December 16 and 17, where she will moderate conversations with business, political, and technology leaders.