In the world of media moguls, Rupert Murdoch’s name always holds power and experience over others. The brain behind the global media empire of News Corporation and 21st Century Fox impacted the meaning of media on a global scale.
Rupert Murdoch is a prominent media mogul and business magnate. He is also known for his personal life and marriage accounts. Join us as we unveil the captivating narrative of Rupert Murdoch’s marriages, from his early days to the present.
Who Is Rupert Murdoch?
Officially known as Keith Rupert Murdoch was born on March 11, 1931, in Melbourne, Australia, to a journalist father, Sir Keith Murdoch, and mother, Dame Elisabeth. He was the second child out of four children of the couple.
Over the years, Murdoch has built an extensive media empire, including newspapers, television networks, film studios, and more. His ventures made him the 31st richest person in the United States and 71st in the world.
In the year 1979, he founded his first biggest corporation, the ‘News Corporation’. In recent times, it is known as ‘News Corp,’ which thrived into a global media center. Under this corporation, newspapers like ‘The Wall Street Journal’ and ‘The Times’ are included. It also has one of the most preferred TV networks, including Fox News.
In 1985, Murdoch also acquired the ‘Twentieth Century Fox’ and then created ‘21st Century Fox’, which is a part of Disney. He also accumulated film and TV assets, including Fox Broadcasting Company. Rupert played an influential role in the creation of Fox News which is known for conservative programming.
Furthermore, he expanded his power to Europe through the ‘Sky Group,’ which comprises Sky News. Rupert also commands newspaper holdings, including ‘The Sun’ and ‘The New York Post.’
Rupert Murdoch’s Wives & Marriage Timeline
A celebrity’s dating timeline seems more intriguing than a movie’s event timeline. Recently, people were busy calculating Kylie’s dating history when Rupert Murdoch stole the attention of the media for the same reason.
Each of his wedlock’s has brought him into the limelight for numerous reasons. The media mogul Rupert Murdoch has been married four times and is engaged for the fifth time.
Let’s see the whole timeline of Rupert’s married life:
#1 Rupert Murdoch and Patricia Booker (1956-1967)
Murdoch’s first marriage was to Patricia Booker, who was a former flight attendant from Australia. They were married in 1956 and had one daughter, Prudence (1958). Both were married for 11 years until they got divorced in 1967.
#2 Rupert Murdoch and Anna Maria Torv (1967-1999)
After his divorce from Patricia Booker, Murdoch married Anna Maria Torv in 1967. Trov was a Scottish-born journalist back then. The couple had three children together: Elisabeth (1968), Lachlan (1971), and James (1972).
This marriage lasted for over three decades but soon ended in divorce in 1999. After the split, Ann revealed that their marriage faced rifts as she doubted that Rupert was cheating on her with Wendi.
#3 Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng (1999-2013)
Murdoch’s third marriage was to Wendi Deng, who is a Chinese-born businesswoman. Both of them met each other at a company party that was organized in Hong Kong in 1997. Soon, both got married in 1999, 17 days after his divorce from Anna. At the time of marriage, Rupert was 68, and Wendi was 30.
The couple had two daughters together, named Grace (2001) and Chloe (2003). However, this marriage also came to an end in 2013, claiming that their marriage had broken down irretrievably. Soon after the divorce, Dang was linked with Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of Britain.
#4 Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall (2016-2022)
In 2016, Rupert Murdoch married Jerry Hall. Jerry was known as an American model and actress. The couple tied the knot in a private ceremony in London. Hall was 59 years old, while Murdoch was running in his 85th year. The couple called off their marriage after being married for six years in 2022.
According to Vanity Fair reports, Rupert dumped her through the mail. Meanwhile, Murdock and Hall were spotted together at various events. A few inside sources also released the information that both Rupert and Jerry are still in touch with each other like good friends.
#5 Rupert Murdoch and Ann Lesley Smith (2023)
The media mogul was almost set to get married for the fifth time at the age of 92, but it was called off abruptly. He got engaged to Ann Lesley Smith, who was a former police chaplain, in April 2023. The same month, both parties called off their engagement due to Murdoch’s issues with Smith’s religious views.
As Rupert is growing old, people are wondering how he is thinking about getting married at that age. Social media platforms are still comprehending the latest news of the engagement.
What are your thoughts on Rupert’s life and his choices? Let us know in the comment section.
Source: Vanity Fair
