# Maria Bartiromo The most dramatic transformation in business journalism: from the pioneering "Money Honey" who broke barriers on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to a named defendant in [[Smartmatic]]'s $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit for promoting false election conspiracy theories. Maria Bartiromo's arc — from two-time Emmy-winning CNBC financial journalist to one of Fox's most aggressive promoters of election fraud claims — illustrates how the Fox ecosystem converts credentialed journalists into partisan combatants. ## Background Born September 11, 1967, in Brooklyn, New York, to an Italian-American family. NYU (BA, journalism and economics, 1989). Serves on the NYU Board of Trustees. ## CNBC Era (1993–2013) Bartiromo joined CNBC in 1993 and became the **first television journalist to deliver live reports from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange** — a breakthrough that earned her the nickname "Money Honey" and made her the most prominent financial journalist on television. At CNBC, she hosted *Closing Bell* and *On the Money with Maria Bartiromo*, winning two Emmy Awards. She was widely respected within the financial industry and built her reputation on access to Wall Street executives and market-moving interviews. She was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame. ## Fox Business/Fox News (2013–Present) In 2013, Bartiromo left CNBC for Fox, where she hosts *Mornings with Maria* (Fox Business, weekday mornings) and *Sunday Morning Futures* (Fox News, Sundays). The move was lucrative: court filings in the Smartmatic case revealed she earned over **$70 million** during her years at Fox. ### The Transformation Bartiromo's on-air persona shifted dramatically after the move to Fox and especially during the Trump era. The financial journalist known for market expertise became one of Fox's most aggressive political commentators, using her shows — particularly the Sunday program — to promote Trump-aligned narratives with increasing intensity. By the 2020 election, the transformation was complete. Bartiromo gave [[Sidney Powell]] her first major television platform to promote the election fraud conspiracy theory, airing Powell's claims about voting machine manipulation without meaningful pushback. Her Sunday show became a regular forum for election deniers. ### 2020 Election Coverage Bartiromo was among the most prominent Fox hosts to amplify false claims about election fraud. She hosted [[Rudy Giuliani]], [[Sidney Powell]], and other Trump allies who made false claims about [[Dominion Voting Systems]] and [[Smartmatic]] machines switching votes. [[Smartmatic]]'s $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit names Bartiromo personally as a defendant — alongside Fox News, [[Lou Dobbs]], and [[Jeanine Pirro]] — alleging she was part of a "conspiracy to spread disinformation." A New York State Supreme Court judge allowed the claims against Bartiromo to proceed. ## Compensation Court filings revealed Bartiromo's Fox compensation exceeded **$70 million** over her tenure — making her one of the highest-paid television news personalities in the country and demonstrating the commercial value Fox places on hosts who deliver its most politically charged content. ## Analytical Framework Bartiromo's transformation is the most vivid case in the KB of how the Fox ecosystem converts journalistic credibility into partisan ammunition. Her CNBC career gave her a reputation for serious financial journalism and access to powerful institutions. Fox's commercial incentives — where audience engagement correlates with partisan intensity — gradually redirected that credibility toward election conspiracy promotion. The $70 million in compensation illustrates the mechanism: Fox pays enormously well, and the content that earns those payments is not the careful financial journalism that built Bartiromo's reputation, but the aggressive partisan commentary that drives ratings. The incentive structure doesn't just permit the transformation — it rewards it. Her Smartmatic exposure is also significant because, unlike [[Lou Dobbs]] (whose show was canceled) and [[Jeanine Pirro]] (who left for government), Bartiromo remains on air at Fox while personally named in a pending $2.7 billion lawsuit. The network's willingness to keep her on the air — as it did with [[Bill O'Reilly]] until advertisers left — reflects the same commercial calculus: the host's value exceeds the legal risk, until it doesn't. ## See Also - [[Fox News]] — The network that transformed her from financial journalist to partisan combatant - [[Smartmatic]] — The company whose $2.7 billion lawsuit names her personally - [[Jeanine Pirro]] — Fellow Smartmatic defendant - [[Lou Dobbs]] — Fellow Smartmatic defendant (deceased) - [[Sidney Powell]] — The conspiracy promoter Bartiromo gave her first major TV platform - [[Dominion Voting Systems]] — The other election tech company at the center of the conspiracy she promoted