• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, August 8, 2013

Fox News chief Roger Ailes offered a hefty dose of comedy in an appearance at a 21st Century Fox investor day Thursday, saying one of his goals is to “prove a fat guy can get to 100.” Also: “I want to save democracy for the next generation.” Okay -- he may not have been kidding on that one.

Still -- it wasn’t all humor, as Ailes indicated he intends to fulfill his contract, which runs through 2016. He says he has a succession plan that he updates every six months.

Do company chiefs Rupert Murdoch and Chase Carey know about it?

No. “They’re going to get surprised,” he said, acknowledging his recommendation may not be followed.

Returning to jocularity, Ailes said his “near-term plans are to put my competitors out of business completely.”

Casting forward, he said Fox News should grow stronger with the opportunity to distribute content across multiple platforms. It is re-upping a deal with SiriusXM and adding a Fox Business channel there as well.

Commenting on the state of the country, he said he doesn’t think the sort of blame-the-rich class warfare is good for the U.S. long-term. “Anytime I needed a job, I went to rich guy,” he said.