Interviewing Nixon cost me £37m, David Frost reveals
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.When the disgraced ex-US president Richard Nixon, conceded he had deceived the nation and "let down" his people, David Frost was assured a place in television history.
Now, for the first time, Sir David has revealed just how much it cost him, financially, to secure the interview. He believes he would now be some £37m richer had he not humbled Nixon on TV, but says he has no regrets.
Writing in a new book, Shooting Stars, Sir David described it as "one of the riskiest ventures on which I've ever embarked.
"After Richard Nixon's resignation from the presidency in 1974, I became determined to interview him in depth, to resolve the questions left unanswered by his grimly unapologetic departure. American broadcasters were eager to do just the same thing, and to secure Nixon's participation I had to outbid them. That meant making him an offer of $600,000, or around £3m in today's money. The only way I could raise the cash was to use the one real asset I owned, a 5 per cent stake in London Weekend Television. I sold my shares and threw the money into the venture. If I'd kept them, they would have been worth £37m when Granada took over LWT in 1994. But I would still have made the same decision."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments