When he returned to the US he worked for the Brockton Enterprise in Massachusetts and the Boston Herald, and in 1900 became press room foreman for The Worcester Telegram.

The publisher of the Telegram, Austin P. Cristy, insisted that he either resign or stop dividing his time between his work and his inventing.

Ellis resigned, and made enough money from his inventions to purchase the Worcester Telegram from Cristy in 1919 for $1,000,000.

[1] In August 1931, Ellis and Frank Knox jointly bought control of the Chicago Daily News.

[1] Ellis was an art collector; his collection included the Northbrook Madonna, at that time thought to be by Raphael, painted in about 1505.