Rupert Murdoch is headed for his fourth divorce at the age of 91. The billionaire media Baron had married a former supermodel and actress Jerry Hall six years ago in a low-key ceremony in March 2016 in Central London.
The Fox Corp Chairman and his actress wife were always in the news as they provided fodder to the tabloids about their marriage, lifestyle, and festivities that surrounded the 90th birthday of the elder Murdoch.
Jerry Hall, who is 65, and Murdoch were a sweet couple, holding hands, talking over each other, and behaving like a married couple even before the marriage, according to a friend of the couple.
Surprising Decision
The end of a marriage has come as a surprise to people close to the couple, even as Rupert’s eldest son, Lachlan Murdoch, will have a more prominent role in managing the properties and in Fox News and Wall Street Journal.
As per gossip in the tabloids, Jerry Hall used to put her feet up on his legs on her husband’s legs, and like any other married couple, they disagreed on many things right from the beginning. For instance, Jerry disliked Trump while Murdoch supported the former US president; and among many such things, they had divergent views.
Murdoch was earlier married to entrepreneur Wendi Dong, whom also he divorced after 14 years of marriage in 2014. He has two daughters from this marriage. In 1999, Murdoch divorced Anna Murdoch Mann, his second wife, with whom he has three children. His first marriage was with a former flight attendant Patricia Booker whom he divorced in 1966 and has a daughter from this marriage.
Effect of Latest Divorce on Murdoch’s Business Empire
Murdoch’s ownership structure in companies where he has stakes, including Fox Corp, the parent organization of Fox News Channel, and Wall Street Journal published by News Corp., is unlikely to be affected by his fourth divorce.
The family shares in the companies founded by Murdoch are strictly kept in Trust-based out of Reno in Nevada, managed strictly by the family. The voting rights were split among his four oldest children, Lachlan, James, Elisabeth, and Prudence, and they are arranged in such a manner so that he is not ever outvoted. The trust holds approximately a 40% stake in the voting rights of each company.
Still, the effect of Murdoch’s split with the Hall is expected to reverberate through his business empire, according to the media. Murdoch’s business empire has a strong influence in the USA and abroad with its right-leaning brands such as Sky News in Australia and Sun in Britain.
Darning Murdoch’s early marriage days with Hall, he spent more time with his new wife. He allowed his children, especially his eldest son and chosen successor Lachlan Murdoch, to take charge and assert themselves in the corporate hierarchy.
Murdoch’s net worth estimated by Forbes is at $17.7 billion. He built a media empire whose assets sprawled across the globe. In March 2019, Murdoch sold Fox Films, Television Studios, and other entertainment assets to Burbank, California-based Walt Disney Co. for $ 71.3 billion.
