Fox News corrects O'Leary claim linking opponents to China

Fox News issued multiple on-air apologies over the weekend after investor Kevin O'Leary made unsubstantiated claims linking opponents of his Utah data center project to the Chinese government. The apologies, read by hosts including Maria Bartiromo and Johnny Joey Jones, stated the network found no evidence to support O'Leary's allegations.

The controversy stems from O'Leary's appearances on Fox News and Fox Business in May, where he discussed local opposition to his planned "Stratos Project" or "Wonder Valley" data center campus. During a May 24 broadcast, O'Leary suggested that only an adversary like China would want to stop the expansion of the U.S. electrical grid and computing capacity for artificial intelligence. He specifically named the groups Alliance for a Better Utah and Elevate Strategies, as well as several individuals including Taylor Knuth and Gabi Finlayson.

In the days leading up to the network's apologies, O'Leary posted a clarification on social media. He stated he had no evidence that the named groups or individuals were funded by or coordinating with China or the Chinese Communist Party. His statement did not include an apology.