AFR columnist Joe Aston quits the newspaper’s Rear Window column after 12 years

The Nine Entertainment-owned business publication announced its Rear Window columnist Joe Aston is leaving the paper after 12 years.

The Australian Financial Review’s high-profile columnist Joe Aston has quit the newspaper after 12 years.

In a shock announcement, the Nine Entertainment-owned publication issued a press release on Friday to reveal Aston’s exit - he will finish up at the newspaper next week.

Aston has been a staunch critic of many high-profile corporate executives throughout his career including most recently the former Qantas chief executive officer Alan Joyce.

AFR editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury thanked Aston for his service to the newspaper and wished him well in his future endeavours.

“Joe is leaving at the top of his game as he takes a break from the daunting mission of holding power and hypocrisy to account day in and day out, and to open up the options for the next phase of his career,” he said.

“He leaves with our best wishes.”

In a note Stutchbury sent to staff on Friday he said, “Joe is making a brave call to leave at the top of his game and to take a break from what is the punishing personal task of writing Rear Window.”

Aston began writing for the AFR’s Rear Window column in 2011 and Stutchbury said he turned it into a well-read business and political column.

He said in an issued statement he was “thankful” to lead the column for more than a decade.

“It’s been the most tremendous privilege to write Rear Window for the past 12 years,” he said. “To get paid for doing this job is an outrageous racket, for which I am thankful.

“I will really miss working with so many talented and devoted colleagues at the Financial Review, whose work is so important for our capital market and our democracy.”

Businesswoman Dr Elaine Stead took Aston to court over a series of articles he wrote between February and October 2019 after he called her a “feminist cretin” and claimed she “set fire to people’s money”.

He also likened her to the character from the comedy film Anchorman.

The former director of venture capitalist firm Blue Sky Alternative Investments was awarded $280,000 in damages in 2021.

The AFR said Aston will file for the Rear Window column next week and his replacement to join Myriam Robin on the column “will be announced in due course.”