CNN staffers livid after star of embattled network buys vacation home on luxurious island getaway

Daily Mail​

a day ago

CNN staffers are furiously whispering about a 'way overpaid' star buying a luxurious vacation home amid network turmoil, an insider has claimed.
Kaitlan Collins, 33, has allegedly purchased a 'very expensive' house in Nantucket - a beloved getaway spot among the wealthy.
While the chief White House correspondent is likely over the moon about her new asset, her co-workers at the struggling news network are less than thrilled.
'She just bought some bougie place and CNN people are grossed out that she paid so much,' an anonymous source told Page Six.
They also described The Source with Kaitlan Collins host as 'way overpaid' and said the property was 'very expensive,' although they did not specify the price or how they know.
The average home price on the ritzy Massachusetts island was roughly $4.5 million as of May 2025, according to Realtor.com.
Collins' new purchase means she could be enjoying her summer surrounded by the likes of Tommy Hilfiger and Dave Portnoy, who both own multimillion-dollar Nantucket homes.
The turmoil over Collins' lavish new island getaway came as an anonymous source told Fox News there are 'tears on the horizon' for the left-leaning news network.
Warner Bros. Discovery's shock split into two distinctive companies is a sign the jobs and hefty salaries of CNN 's top talent are on the line, media insiders have warned.
The media giant announced last month it will halve into two publicly traded entities — Streaming & Studios and Global Networks — by mid-2026.
Streaming & Studios' domain will be Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO, and HBO Max.
Global Networks, on the other hand, will be news focused, assuming CNN, TNT Sports and Discovery, among other programming.
CEO David Zaslav will take on the leading role of the Streaming & Studios company, while CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels will become the President of Global Networks.
This dramatic move could be detrimental to CNN, which is already grappling with plummeting ratings.
'Inevitably, Gunnar will look at CNN and decide he can maintain relatively similar profits at a mere fraction of the cost,' Dylan Byers, a former CNN reporter who now works for Puck, wrote in an opinion piece.
'This will have perceptible ramifications on the talent side. Why, for instance, would Gunnar pay Anderson Cooper $18 million a year when Kaitlan Collins draws the same ratings at roughly a fifth of the salary?'
The source familiar with the state of CNN shared their take on the matter with Fox News.
They believe 'bean counter' Wiedenfels will go after high-salaried stars, going against the precedent set by former CNN boss Jeff Zucker, who was forced out before the 2022 merger.
'It's not just the overpriced talent. It's the overpriced producers. The overpriced executives. The superfluous reporters who barely are on the air,' the source said.
'All will either be exited or forced to take massive pay cuts.'
Zucker was allegedly known for overpaying talent to keep them loyal to him, Fox reported.
The result - CNN's first and second-tier talent now earn roughly five times what they are worth, the insider alleged.
While Cooper earns an estimated $18 million every year, Jake Tapper, who hosts The Lead with Jake Tapper, brings in roughly $7 million a year.
CNN veteran Wolf Blitzer's salary is about $15 million. Collins earns about $3 million as a primetime anchor.
In May, CNN had its second-worst month in its history in the essential 25 to 54-year-old age group in both daytime and primetime viewership, Fox reported.
Since last year, the network ratings declined in all categories - and the matter may only get worse, experts believe.
Over the upcoming year, Kagan, a research unit of S&P Global Market Intelligence, estimated CNN will lose subscribers and revenue despite the strategic split.
Revenue is expected to plummet by $499.2 million, Variety reported.
The insider source said the soon-to-be Global Networks CEO could slash CNN's costs by 50 to 60 percent with no impact on revenue or ratings.
They believe Wiedenfels could 'start by making 70 percent cuts to all show teams for CNN US, bringing their staffing in line with that of their competition,' before slashing talent salaries.
'But it will be most devastating for the rank and file. With no union protections, there will be massive layoffs and those remaining will be asked to do the work of their departed colleagues,' they explained.
Although no layoffs or budget cuts have been set in stone, uncertainty looms among CNN staffers.