In an effort to raise money for the Global Poverty Project, Rupert Murdoch thought it would be nice to auction off a few of the sought-after chairs at his lunch table. The winner of the prize would have a chance to wow the billionaire with his or her ideas, and hopefully gain favor with the News Corp (NWSA). head honcho. We’ve all had blind dates before — how bad could this one be?
Turns out Murdoch might be in for a bit of a shock. The winning bid of $86,000 was placed by Media Matters for America, the liberal advocacy group with the mission to counter all things Rupert Murdoch. The group announced its victory in a press release that included a statement from founder and CEO David Brock.
I look forward to this opportunity to have a friendly lunch with Rupert Murdoch, along with five of my invited guests. I will soon contact Mr. Murdoch’s office to determine a mutually convenient time and place in New York.
The auction’s website, however, does state that the winner must go through a security screening and background check, making it possible for Murdoch to squeeze out of the potentially awkward small talk. But doing so would probably incite a firestorm over Murdoch’s openness to conversation. We’re thinking he’ll bite.
So, David, keep us posted on the locale. We’d love to crash this little get-together!