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Rupert Murdoch: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch was born on the 11th of March 1931 in Melbourne, Australia, into a family that would eventually reshape the global media landscape. His father, Sir Keith Murdoch, was a war correspondent and newspaper magnate who owned two papers in Adelaide and a radio station in a remote mining town. The younger Murdoch was groomed from childhood to take over the family business, but his early years at Oxford University revealed a surprising contradiction. While his father was a conservative figure, the young Rupert kept a bust of Vladimir Lenin in his room and became known as Red Rupert. He was a member of the Oxford University Labour Party and even stood for secretary of the Labour Club, managing Oxford Student Publications Limited, the publishing house of Cherwell. This early embrace of socialism and leftist politics would later be contrasted sharply with the conservative empire he would build, yet it remained a defining chapter of his formative years. After his father died of cancer in 1952, Murdoch returned from Oxford at the age of 21 to take charge of what was left of the family business. He liquidated his father's stake in the Herald to pay taxes, leaving him with News Limited, which had been established in 1923. He turned its Adelaide newspaper, The News, into a major success, setting the stage for a career that would span decades and continents.
Inventing The Modern Tabloid
Murdoch's first major innovation was not a technological breakthrough but a shift in tone and content that would define the modern tabloid. He began to direct his attention to acquisition and expansion, buying the troubled Sunday Times in Perth, Western Australia, in 1956. Over the next few years, he acquired suburban and provincial newspapers in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and the Northern Territory, including the Sydney afternoon tabloid The Daily Mirror in 1960. The Economist would later describe Murdoch as inventing the modern tabloid, as he developed a pattern for his newspapers that increased sports and scandal coverage and adopted eye-catching headlines. His first foray outside Australia involved the purchase of a controlling interest in the New Zealand daily The Dominion in 1964. While touring New Zealand with friends in a rented Morris Minor after sailing across the Tasman, Murdoch read of a takeover bid for the Wellington paper by the British-based Canadian newspaper magnate Lord Thomson of Fleet. On the spur of the moment, he launched a counter-bid. A four-way battle for control ensued in which the 32-year-old Murdoch was ultimately successful. Later in 1964, Murdoch launched The Australian, Australia's first national daily newspaper, which was based first in Canberra and later in Sydney. In 1972, he acquired the Sydney morning tabloid The Daily Telegraph from Australian media mogul Sir Frank Packer, who later regretted selling it to him. By 1984, Murdoch was appointed Companion of the Order of Australia for services to publishing, cementing his status as a national figure before he turned his sights on the United Kingdom.
Common questions
When and where was Rupert Murdoch born?
Keith Rupert Murdoch was born on the 11th of March 1931 in Melbourne, Australia. He was born into a family that would eventually reshape the global media landscape.
What was Rupert Murdoch's political stance during his time at Oxford University?
While at Oxford University, Rupert Murdoch was known as Red Rupert and kept a bust of Vladimir Lenin in his room. He was a member of the Oxford University Labour Party and stood for secretary of the Labour Club.
When did Rupert Murdoch enter the British newspaper market?
Rupert Murdoch entered the British newspaper market in 1968 with his acquisition of the populist News of the World. He followed this in 1969 with the purchase of the struggling daily The Sun from IPC.
What happened during the phone hacking scandal involving Rupert Murdoch in 2011?
On the 14th of July 2011, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the House of Commons served a summons on Rupert Murdoch to testify regarding phone hacking. On the 15th of July 2011, he attended a private meeting in London with the family of Milly Dowler to apologize for the hacking of their murdered daughter's voicemail.
When did Rupert Murdoch become a naturalized United States citizen?
Rupert Murdoch became a naturalized citizen on the 4th of September 1985 to satisfy the legal requirement that only American citizens were permitted to own American television stations. He moved to New York City in 1974 to expand into the American market.
Who is Rupert Murdoch's fifth wife and when did they get married?
Rupert Murdoch's fifth wife is retired Russian molecular biologist Elena Zhukova. Their wedding was held in June 2024 at Murdoch's estate in California.
In 1968, Murdoch entered the British newspaper market with his acquisition of the populist News of the World, followed in 1969 with the purchase of the struggling daily The Sun from IPC. He turned The Sun into a tabloid format and reduced costs by using the same printing press for both newspapers. On acquiring it, he appointed Albert Larry Lamb as editor and told him I want a tearaway paper with lots of tits in it. In 1997, The Sun attracted 10 million daily readers. In 1981, Murdoch acquired the struggling Times and Sunday Times from Canadian newspaper publisher Lord Thomson of Fleet. Ownership of The Times came to him through his relationship with Lord Thomson, who had grown tired of losing money on it as a result of an extended period of industrial action that stopped publication. Harold Evans, editor of the Sunday Times from 1967, was switched to the daily Times, though he stayed only a year amid editorial conflict with Murdoch. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Murdoch's publications were generally supportive of Britain's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. In February 1981, when Murdoch, already owner of The Sun and The News of the World, sought to buy The Times and The Sunday Times, Thatcher's government let his bid pass without referring it to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, which was usual practice at the time. Documents found in Thatcher's archives in 2012 revealed a secret meeting had taken place a month before in which Murdoch briefed Thatcher on his plans for the paper, such as taking on trade unions. The Wapping dispute started with the dismissal of 6,000 employees who had gone on strike and resulted in street battles and demonstrations. Many on the political left in Britain alleged the collusion of Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government with Murdoch in the Wapping affair, as a way of damaging the British trade union movement. In 1987, the dismissed workers accepted a settlement of 60 million pounds.
The Phone Hacking Scandal And The Fall
In July 2011, Murdoch, along with his youngest son James, provided testimony before a British parliamentary committee regarding phone hacking. On the 14th of July 2011, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the House of Commons served a summons on Murdoch, his son James, and his former CEO Rebekah Brooks to testify before a committee five days later. The day before the committee, the website of the News Corporation publication The Sun was hacked, and a false story was posted on the front page claiming that Murdoch had died. Murdoch described the day of the committee as the most humble day of my life. He argued that since he ran a global business of 53,000 employees and that News of the World was just 1% of this, he was not ultimately responsible for what went on at the tabloid. On the 15th of July, Murdoch attended a private meeting in London with the family of Milly Dowler, where he personally apologised for the hacking of their murdered daughter's voicemail by a company he owns. On 16 and the 17th of July, News International published two full-page apologies in many of Britain's national newspapers. The first apology took the form of a letter, signed by Murdoch, in which he said sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred. On the 27th of February 2012, the day after the first issue of The Sun on Sunday was published, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers informed the Leveson Inquiry that police are investigating a network of corrupt officials as part of their inquiries into phone hacking and police corruption. She said that evidence suggested a culture of illegal payments at The Sun and that these payments allegedly made by The Sun were authorised at a senior level. On the 3rd of July 2013, the Exaro website and Channel 4 News broke the story of a secret recording. This was recorded by The Sun journalists, and in it Murdoch can be heard telling them that the whole investigation was one big fuss over nothing, and that he, or his successors, would take care of any journalists who went to prison. He said: Why are the police behaving in this way? It's the biggest inquiry ever, over next to nothing. On the 1st of May 2012, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee issued a report stating that Murdoch was not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company.
The American Empire And Political Power
Murdoch made his first acquisition in the United States in 1973, when he purchased the San Antonio Express-News. In 1974, Murdoch moved to New York City, to expand into the American market. Soon afterwards, he founded Star, a supermarket tabloid, and in 1976, he purchased the New York Post. On the 3rd of January 1977, Murdoch along with columnist James Brady, founded Page Six, gossip column of the New York Post. On the 4th of September 1985, Murdoch became a naturalized citizen to satisfy the legal requirement that only American citizens were permitted to own American television stations. In March 1984, Marvin Davis sold Marc Rich's interest in 20th Century Fox to Murdoch for 250 million dollars due to Rich's trade deals with Iran, which were sanctioned by the US at the time. Davis later backed out of a deal with Murdoch to purchase John Kluge's Metromedia television stations. Rupert Murdoch bought the stations by himself, without Marvin Davis, and later bought out Davis's remaining stake in Fox for 325 million dollars. The six television stations owned by Metromedia formed the nucleus of the Fox Broadcasting Company, founded on the 9th of October 1986, which later had great success with programs including The Simpsons and The X-Files. In 1996, Murdoch decided to enter the cable news market with the Fox News Channel, a 24-hour cable news station. Ratings studies released in 2009 showed that the network was responsible for nine of the top ten programs in the Cable News category at that time. Murdoch and Ted Turner, founder and former owner of CNN, are long-standing rivals. In late 2003, Murdoch acquired a 34% stake in Hughes Electronics, the operator of the largest American satellite TV system, DirecTV, from General Motors for 6 billion dollars. His Fox movie studio had global hits with Titanic and Avatar. In 2004, Murdoch announced that he was moving News Corporation headquarters from Adelaide, Australia to the United States. Choosing an American domicile was designed to ensure that American fund managers could purchase shares in the company, since many were deciding not to buy shares in non-American companies.
The Family Trust And The Succession Battle
In 1999, Murdoch's divorce from Anna Torv led to the creation of an irrevocable family trust to hold the family's 28.5% stake in News Corporation. It relates only to the children born before then, giving them equal say in the fate of the business after Murdoch's death. Chloe and Grace Murdoch, Rupert's children with third wife Wendi Deng, will have no say in the business, although will share the stock proceeds. The case follows Rupert's attempt to change the trust in 2023, and the Nevada probate commissioner's finding that he was allowed to amend the trust if he is able to show he is acting in good faith and for the sole benefit of his heirs. Murdoch is arguing interference by the other siblings would cause a financial loss to Fox, and therefore in their own best interests if they have their votes taken away from them. He argues that preserving the outlet's conservative editorial stance against interference by the more politically moderate siblings would better protect its commercial value. The case has led to the three children becoming estranged from their father, with none of them attending his wedding to his fifth wife, Elena Zhukova, in June 2024. On the 9th of September 2025, News Corp announced changes to the structure of the trust which controls the family's ownership of the company and Fox News. As part of the changes, a partial share sale by the family trust was agreed, reported to be worth 3.3 billion dollars, for Prudence MacLeod, Elisabeth Murdoch and James Murdoch's shares in News Corp and Fox News. All three siblings will cease to be beneficiaries of any holdings in News Corp and Fox and will no longer have any voting rights. As part of the new structure, Murdoch's eldest son and chairman of News Corp, Lachlan Murdoch, will assume full control of the family trust which owns both companies, including full voting rights. It was announced that Murdoch's younger children, Grace Murdoch and Chloe Murdoch, will join as beneficiaries of the trust with no voting rights.
The Man Behind The Empire
Murdoch's personal life has been as dramatic and public as his business dealings. In 1956, Murdoch married Patricia Booker, a former shop assistant and flight attendant from Melbourne; the couple had their only child, Prudence, in 1958. They divorced in 1967. In 1967, Murdoch married Anna Torv, a Scottish-born cadet journalist working for his Sydney newspaper The Daily Mirror. In January 1998, three months before the announcement of his separation from Anna, a Roman Catholic, Murdoch was made a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great, a papal honour awarded by Pope John Paul II. While Murdoch would often attend Mass with Torv, he never converted to Catholicism. Torv and Murdoch had three children: Elisabeth Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, and James Murdoch. They divorced in June 1999. Anna Murdoch received a settlement of 1.2 billion dollars in assets. On the 25th of June 1999, 17 days after divorcing his second wife, Murdoch, then aged 68, married Chinese-born Wendi Deng. She was 30, a recent Yale School of Management graduate, and a newly appointed vice-president of his STAR TV. Murdoch had two daughters with her: Grace and Chloe. Near the end of his marriage to Wendi, hearsay concerning a link with Chinese intelligence became problematic to their relationship. On the 13th of June 2013, a News Corporation spokesperson confirmed that Murdoch filed for divorce from Deng in New York City, US. According to the spokesman, the marriage had been irretrievably broken for more than six months. Murdoch also ended his long-standing friendship with Tony Blair after suspecting him of having an affair with Deng while they were still married. On the 11th of January 2016, Murdoch announced his engagement to former model Jerry Hall. On the 4th of March 2016, Murdoch, a week short of his 85th birthday, and 59-year-old Hall were married in London, at St Bride's, Fleet Street with a reception at Spencer House. In June 2022, The New York Times reported that Murdoch and Hall were set to divorce, citing two anonymous sources. Hall filed for divorce on the 1st of July 2022 citing irreconcilable differences; the divorce was finalised in August 2022. During Saint Patrick's Day celebrations in 2023, Murdoch, who is quarter Irish, proposed to his partner, Ann Lesley Smith. The engaged couple first met at an event in September 2022. In April 2023, two weeks after the couple were engaged, Murdoch suddenly called off the engagement. The split was said to be caused by Murdoch's discomfort with Smith's religious views and her infatuation with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, reportedly referring to him as a messenger from God. Carlson was fired from Fox News three weeks later. Murdoch became engaged again in March 2024, to retired Russian molecular biologist Elena Zhukova, who is also the ex-wife of Russian businessman Alexander Zhukov. Their wedding was held in June 2024 at Murdoch's estate in California. Murdoch was 93 and Zhukova 67 years old. Through the marriage he became stepfather to Dasha Zhukova, ex-wife of Roman Abramovich. Murdoch has six children, and is grandfather to thirteen grandchildren.