Scott Galloway Says He Was Offered ’60 Minutes’ Job as New Andy Rooney

Author and podcast host Scott Galloway claimed he turned down a job at 60 Minutes after CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss offered him an Andy Rooney-style role on the long-running magazine program.

“I was approached about a role at 60 Minutes, and I said ‘no f****** way,’” Galloway said on the most recent episode of Pivot, the podcast he co-hosts with journalist Kara Swisher. He explained that the new bosses wanted him “to do one or more of those Andy Rooney segments.”

Rooney, who died in 2011 at 92 years old, worked on 60 Minutes for over three decades. He was known for his curmudgeonly segments, often providing humorous comments on American culture and everyday irritations. Galloway claimed that Weiss wanted him to fill a similar role.

“I grew up watching 60 Minutes with my mother,” Galloway added. “Had someone called me 12 or 24 months ago offering me that role, I would’ve said I’ll pay you. That would’ve been, other than hosting a podcast with you [Swisher], my crowning achievement professionally.”

However, his stance changed amid the upheaval at CBS News and 60 Minutes over the past few months. “And now, I’m like, the last f****** thing I want to do is wake up to social media after they hear that I’m having anything to do with this s**t-show right now.”

Last month, 60 Minutes fired several long-time staff members, including producers Tanya Simon and Draggan Mihailovich and correspondents  Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi. After veteran correspondent Scott Pelley confronted his bosses about this, he was also terminated.

According to the New York Post, a CBS spokesperson claimed that Galloway actually approached 60 Minutes about a job. “We think Scott’s great,” the rep told the outlet. “When he approached us with a pitch for an Andy Rooney-esque segment in December, we were happy to consider it.”

Galloway denied this version of events, telling the Post that Weiss had contacted him. “Bari called me and asked me if I’d be interested in having some sort of contributor role,” he shared. “I said I would think about it and there was a discussion.”

Admitting he was “not qualified to be one of their journalists,” Galloway said, “we zeroed in on the potential of me contributing an Andy Rooney-like segment.”

“I forwarded [Weiss] an idea for a segment,” he added, noting that Weiss later texted him, “‘Scott, also next time I see you we need to talk money.’” He reiterated, “Bari specifically reached out to me about getting involved. I know I didn’t initiate this conversation.”