This week, the owner of the Los Angeles Times, billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, met with President Trump during his visit to Saudi Arabia.
Alongside influential figures like Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Reed Hoffman, Soon-Shiong joined Trump for discussions in the Middle East. He expressed that he felt “honoured” to talk with both Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about initiatives aimed at cancer prevention and their shared aspiration to ultimately cure cancer.
In addition, Soon-Shiong shared his thoughts on the importance of coverage from the LA Times and other mainstream media. However, he recently faced criticism for stifling editorials supporting former Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming 2024 election. It seems he was aware that his stance would generate backlash. “If you’re going to lead, you have to lead,” he mentioned, emphasizing that the paper had to take a definite position.
Last January, he defended his past decisions regarding endorsements in presidential elections, reiterating his approach to leadership in the newsroom.
