In his 60-year plus career, Rupert Murdoch has created a media empire with himself at the helm. So it's unsurprising that his media family conglomerate has been the focal point of a new BBC documentary series The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty.
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The three-part programme explores his professional and personal life, and how the Murdochs became one of the most well-known and influential families in the world. Ahead of the new episode, here's a quick run-down on everything you need to know about the 89-year-old…
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Rupert Murdoch bio
Rupert Murdoch was born in Australia in 1931. After spending his early adult life in Melbourne working at local newspapers, he moved over to the UK to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Oxford. He then went to return to Australia to take over papers there such as The News (based in Adelaide) and Sunday Times, in Perth. In 1968, he would return to the UK once more to take over newspaper The News of the World. A year later, he bought The Sun and transformed it into a tabloid format. It was these acquisitions that cemented the beginnings of his media empire.
Rupert owns multiple news brands across the globe
A few years later, Rupert would go on to buy The Times and The Sunday Times, under his brand News UK and News Corporation (formerly known as News International). News Corp also owns other titles and brands such as New York Post, the Wall Street Journal and HarperCollins. Under News Corporation, Rupert created Sky Television in 1984, which later merged with satellite company British Satellite Broadcasting, to create BskyB – or more commonly known as Sky. However, the media boss went on to sell the company to Walt Disney. Rupert also owns Twentieth Century Fox and, under the same umbrella, Fox News.
Rupert Murdoch net worth
Thanks to his eye-wateringly lucrative deals and ownerships in both print newspapers, online publications and TV transmission, Rupert's net worth is reported as 16.3 billion US dollars. This staggering amount equates to approximately 13.3 billion in pounds.
Rupert Murdoch's children
Rupert has six children and 13 grandchildren. His six children are Prudence – from his first marriage – who was born in 1958, Elisabeth (born in 1968), Lachlan (born in 1971) and James (born in 1972), who have all gone on to carve successful careers in the media industry, including working for their father's companies like News International and Sky. In later years, Rupert went on to welcome Grace and Chloe with his third wife Wendi Deng.
Rupert with three of his six children and wife, Anna
Rupert Murdoch's marriages
Rupert has been married four times. His first wife was Australian shop assistant Patricia Booker, who he married in 1956. The couple had one child together, Prudence, born two years after they wed, but the marriage wasn't to last and they divorced in 1967. The media mogul's second marriage was to Anna Maria Torv, with whom he had his longest-lasting union.
Rupert with his second wife, with whom he had three children
Rupert married Anna Maria in the same year his divorce to Patricia was finalised. The couple had three children together, Elisabeth, Lachlan and James, but the couple divorced in 1999. Anna Maria reportedly received a settlement pay-out of 1.2 billion dollars in assets.
Just 17 days after his divorce to Anna Maria was finalised in June 1999, Rupert married his third wife Wendi Deng. Rupert was 68 years old at the time, with wife Wendi aged 30. Together, they had two daughters, Grace and Chloe, during their fourteen-year marriage. In 2013, they announced their divorce. Rupert's fourth and current wife is former supermodel and ex-wife to Rolling Stones legend Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall. The couple wed on 4 March 2016 at Spencer House in London.
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