Rupert Murdoch: “Strong Word” That L.A. Times, Tribune Publishing to Be Sold

News Corp and 21st Century Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch has received “strong word” that Tribune Publishing, the umbrella company over numerous publications including the Los Angeles Times, will sell soon.

On Friday afternoon, Murdoch, who has 666,000 Twitter followers, tweeted, “Strong word Tribune newspaper group to be bought by big Wall St firm, LA Times to go to philanthropist Eli Broad and local group.”

Strong word Tribune newspaper group to be bought by big Wall St firm, LA Times to go to philanthropist Eli Broad and local group.

— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) November 27, 2015

Asked by a Twitter user if he was “pissed your bid lost, rupert?,” he replied, “No bid. No interest.”

@Lordofmisrule79 No bid. No interest.

— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) November 27, 2015

Though Murdoch’s tweet does not confirm the sale, it furthers speculation of the future ownership and management of the paper.

Former Times publisher Austin Beutner was abruptly let go just over a year into his tenure, which billionaire philanthropist-businessman Eli Broad, along with former L.A. mayors and current civic leaders, criticized in a signed letter sent to the paper in September. Broad teamed with financier and former L.A. Deputy Mayor/Times publisher Beutner in 2013 to bid for the sale of the newspaper with the goal to reconfigure it into a nonprofit; the deal was unsuccessful.

A Tribune Publishing representative did not immediately respond to The Hollywood Reporter‘s request for comment.

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