What Are the Details of Maria Bartiromo’s Affair?
Maria Bartiromo was rumored to have had an affair with former Citigroup executive Todd Thomson when she was an anchor for CNBC. The cable network defended her, stating that nothing improper had happened.
The rumors of the affair began after Thomson was fired from his job as the chief of Citigroup’s wealth management unit in January 2007. The rumors included talk that Thomson had arranged for Bartiromo to fly on Citigroup’s corporate jet and that he had kicked off other executives so he could be with her on one of the flights. He was fired shortly after telling Citigroup CEO Chuck Prince that he had struck a deal for the company to sponsor Sundance Channel programming that would feature Bartiromo.
The rumors led some to question her journalistic ethics. In standing up for Bartiromo, a CNBC spokesman said the company approved and paid for the flights she took on the Citigroup jet.
While the affair rumors tarnished Thomson’s reputation, Bartiromo seems to have fared well in the aftermath. As of 2015, she works as an anchor for CNBC rival Fox Business Network.
Some observers have suggested that Thomson’s firing really was about creating a scapegoat for Citigroup’s faltering financial standing.
