The moments that made Rupert Murdoch
The succession of papers — and wives — that defined media mogul
Rupert Murdoch shocked the worlds of media and politics yesterday by announcing his departure from the helm of his media empire.
The surprise decision to step down as chairman of News Corp and Fox brings to an end an almost seven decade career wielding influence over the rich and powerful, though Murdoch is likely to retain control in the background.
As his son Lachlan prepares to take over the reins, here are some key moments that made Rupert Murdoch the world’s best-known media mogul.
1954: The Murdoch era begins Following his father’s death, Murdoch returns to Australia to take over the family newspaper business, which includes the Sunday Mail and The News. Over the coming years he acquires a string of other titles, honing his style of sensationalist journalism focused on scandals, sports and eyecatching headlines.
1956: The first of many wives Murdoch marries his first wife Patricia Booker, a former model and flight attendant from Melbourne. They divorce 11 years later. In 1967, Murdoch marries Anna Torv, editor of his Daily Mirror newspaper in Sydney. 1969: Murdoch turns sights on Britain
Murdoch enters the UK market with the acquisition of News of the World .A year later he buys The Sun, cementing his control over the tabloid market. 1973: Going stateside
Murdoch expands into the US by taking over two dailies in San Antonio, Texas. The following year the tycoon moves to New York and buys the New York Post shortly afterwards. In 2007, he seals his stateside interests with a US$5b ($8.4b) deal for Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones.
1981: Taking over the Times Murdoch moves into broadsheet titles with the purchase of The Times and The Sunday Times from Canadian press baron Lord Thomson of Fleet.
1985: Entertainment giant The takeover of 20th Century Fox establishes Murdoch’s foothold in the TV and entertainment sector.
1986: The Wapping dispute More than 6000 print workers go on strike over Murdoch’s decision to shift production to modern facilities in Wapping. Murdoch pushes ahead with the plan, fires the workers and the strike collapses after a year.
1987-1990: Turning the page Murdoch publishing buys houses up a before number merging of book them to form HarperCollins.
1989: The Sky’s the limit Murdoch ushers in a new age of TV with the launch of satellite network Sky Television. A year later it merges with a rival to become British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB). In 2018, Murdoch’s effort to take full control of Sky is scuppered by Comcast, which tables a winning US$39b takeover bid.
1996: A Fox in the chicken coop Murdoch enlists the help of TV bigwig and Richard Nixon ally Roger Ailes to launch Fox News, a news and political commentary network that would later become key to his empire.
1999: Third time lucky? Murdoch marries Wendi Deng just 17 days after his divorce from Anna Torv is finalised.
2011: The Leveson Inquiry
Murdoch and his empire are plunged into the spotlight following revelations that News of the World journalists hacked celebrities, the members phones of of politicians, the royal family and the families of murder victims. Murdoch shuts the News of the World after 168 years and resigns as
2016: director Marriage of News number International. 4 Murdoch marries Jerry Hall in London. They divorce in 2022.
2023: Disney deal
The tycoon sells most of his entertainment holdings in 21st Century Fox to Disney for US$71b, but retains control of Fox.
2023: Love struck
Murdoch announces he will marry fifth wife 66-year-old Ann Lesley Smith, only to call off the engagement two weeks later. He has since begun a relationship with Elena Zhukova, the former mother-in-law of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.
2023: Trump trouble
Fox agrees to pay Dominion Voting Systems US$787m to settle a defamation lawsuit over false claims the company helped to rig the 2020 US presidential election. Shortly after, Murdoch fires controversial primetime host Tucker Carlson.