Fox News issues on-air apology for Kevin O'Leary's China claim

Fox News and Fox Business broadcast a rare on‑air apology after “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary asserted, without evidence, that opponents of his planned Utah data‑center project were backed by the Chinese government. The network’s correction, read on multiple programs over several days, stated there was “no evidence” of any such financing and distanced the channel from the unfounded claim.

O’Leary’s “Stratos Project” proposes a 9‑gigawatt, 40,000‑acre data‑center near the Great Salt Lake, a plan that has sparked strong opposition from local residents, scientists and state officials over potential emissions, water use and ecological damage. The apology, noted by media observers as unusual for Fox, appears tied to legal pressure from the groups O’Leary criticized.