News Corp., the parent of The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch.com and Barron’s, has extended Robert Thomson’s contract, which will see him continue as chief executive through June 2030.
Thomson was named CEO in 2013. He previously was editor in chief of subsidiary Dow Jones and managing editor of The Journal.
His total compensation was $20.3 million the 2024 fiscal year, up from $19.3 million in the previous year, according to the company’s proxy statement.
The company has delivered its four most profitable years from fiscal 2021 to 2024, with continued strong performance in fiscal 2025. He transformed its revenue base with a focus on recurring and digital revenues, materially reducing exposure to cyclical advertising (digital revenues account for 50% of total revenues as of fiscal 2024 compared to roughly 20% in 2014).
He also led the company’s acquisition of Investor’s Business Daily.
“Robert has created exceptional shareholder value, orchestrated a meaningful transformation of our asset base, and made strategic investments in growth drivers like Dow Jones, Digital Real Estate Services and Book Publishing,” said News Corp. chair Lachlan Murdoch in a statement. “He is a crucial voice in the fight for publishers and journalists in the digital age, and a strong advocate for intellectual property rights. I look forward to his continued leadership.”
