Murdoch and Hall to divorce after 6 years
Billionaire businessman said he was the happiest man alive on day of his wedding to former model
Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall are to divorce after six years. The media mogul, 91, declared himself the “happiest man in the world” when he married the former model in March 2016. But the couple are to split, The New York Times reported, citing two insiders. It would be the fourth divorce for Mr Murdoch. There were no details of a settlement between him and 65-year-old Hall. However, it was not expected to affect ownership of Mr Murdoch’s business empire.
RUPERT MURDOCH and Jerry Hall are to divorce after six years, according to a report.
The media mogul, 91, declared himself the “happiest man in the world” when he married the former model in London in March 2016.
But the couple are to split, the New York Times reported last night, citing two people with knowledge of the decision. It would be the fourth divorce for Mr Murdoch.
There were no immediate details of any settlement between him and 65-year-old Hall, who was previously in a long-term relationship with Sir Mick Jagger. However, it was not expected to affect ownership of Mr Murdoch’s international business empire. His family’s shares in the companies are in a managed trust.
Voting rights are split between his four oldest children, Lachlan, Elisabeth, James and Prudence.
Mr Murdoch and his family are worth $17.7billion (£14.4billion), according to Forbes.
Mr Murdoch and Texas-born Hall married at Spencer House, overlooking Green Park, which was built in the 18th century by ancestors of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
At the time, Mr Murdoch wrote that he was giving up posting on Twitter. He wrote: “No more tweets for ten days or ever! Feel like the luckiest AND happiest man in world.”
Following the wedding, Mr Murdoch reportedly spent a considerable amount of time with his new wife, allowing his children to hold more sway over his businesses. The couple were photographed on a beach, watching sports events, and at black-tie events.
Mr Murdoch celebrated his 90th birthday last year in New York.
The couple were reported to have looked happy, with Hall lavishing attention on her husband at a restaurant where guests included leading lights from the world of business and politics.
There was also a belated birthday celebration at his home in Henley. The guests included a few hundred friends from the media, business and politics, including past and present Cabinet ministers.
Among them were Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Priti Patel and Michael Gove.
The event featured an hour-long video tribute introduced by his daughter Elisabeth.
The video was reported to have featured the theme tune from Succession, the fictional Sky series said to be based on Murdoch family intrigue.
Previously, Mr Murdoch was married to his third wife, Wendi Deng, from 1999 to 2014. His second wife, Anna, was a former newspaper reporter, and they divorced in 1999 following three decades of marriage.
Patricia Booker, an Australian model, was his first wife and they divorced in 1965.
Hall and Sir Mick have four children. Before they started their relationship, she was engaged to Bryan Ferry, the Roxy Music singer.
Mr Murdoch’s business empire encompasses the Fox News Channel, as well as further television and newspaper interests in the US, UK and Australia.
A spokesman for Mr Murdoch declined to comment, and representatives for Hall could not immediately be reached. News UK, Mr Murdoch’s British newspaper publishing company, also declined to comment.
Last year, Hall made a comeback as a model, fronting Saint Laurent’s summer 2022 advertising campaign. It featured black and white images of her in pieces from the label’s latest collection.