Rupert Murdoch has lambasted "the English" on Fox News, part of his broadcast arm in the US.
When asked by Fox Business reporter Neil Cavuto why he was reluctant to invest further in the UK, the News Corp Chairman and Chief Executive replied "just the English."
Murdoch offered the verbal broadside during a discussion about the announced split of News Corp into two distinct companies - one for broadcasting and one for publishing.
The move is widely regarded as a reaction to the phone hacking scandal that has engulfed the beleaguered company for more than a year and the subsequent collapse of the proposed takeover of BskyB, of which News Corp currently owns 39%.
When asked if he was still interested in bidding for the broadcaster, Murdoch said: "No, we have moved on in our thinking," before adding: "There are billions and billions of dollars, and if Britain doesn't want 'em, there are plenty of good places to put them here!"
Murdoch continued: "I would be a lot more reluctant to invest in Britain than I would be here [in America]. America's where it's at, I'm far more bullish about investing money here."
The News Corp boss, who has been a presence in UK media since 1968, then offered his damning indictment on "the English", a move likely to baffle the company's several thousand UK-based employees.
The attack ties in with Murdoch's recent burgeoning support for Alex Salmond and the SNP, whose manifesto is hinged on Scottish independence and a breakaway from the centralised power of Westminster.