Walt Disney buys Murdoch’s Fox for $52.4bn today
Media mogul and the Chairman and CEO of News Corporation, Keith Rupert Murdoch turned a single Australian newspaper, which he inherited from his father, into one of the world’s most thriving media and film empires.
Born on 11 March, the Australian-American tycoon has an estimated net worth of $14.1bn (real-time).
Education:
Rupert has completed his education from Worcester College, Oxford University in 1953.
Properties:
In 2003, Murdoch bought an 11 bedroom house “Rosehearty” on a 5-acre waterfront estate in New York.
According to SEC filings in 2014, Murdoch owns these assets and more:
21st Century Fox (including Fox News, Fox Business Network, FSN – Fox Sports Net Inc. National Geographic U.S, STAR India, Fox Sports Asia, Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings (operates in China), Twentieth Century Fox Film (Fox 2000, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Animation, Fox International Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment), Twentieth Century Fox Television productions, Sky Deutchland, BSkyB, Hulu (30% stake), CMC-News AsiaVice Holding (Vice News), News Corp, Dow Jones, News Corp Australia, News UK (The Sun, The Times), New York Post, HarperCollins, Amplify (Amplify Insight, Amplify Learning, Amplify Access), among others.
In an announcement today, Walt Disney said it is set to buy 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets for a total $52.4bn (£39bn). The deal includes Fox’s 39 per cent stake in satellite broadcaster Sky, and the 20th Century Fox film studio.
After the takeover announcement today, Fox’s remaining assets— including Fox News and Sports— will form a new company. Murdoch and his family will now hold less than 5 per cent of stake in Walt Disney.
Just last week, California’s Skirball Fire destroyed a building at a winery owned by Murdoch and was threatening his $30M Bel Air mansion. Murdoch’s winery, Moraga Vineyards, came in the eye of the fire but was reportedly saved from major damage. “We believe the winery and house are still intact,” Murdoch later tweeted.
Family:
Murdoch’s shift to selling assets rather than buying them has come as a surprise to those who expected him to hand over the businesses to his sons, James and Lachlan. The two help Rupert oversee two publicly-traded firms: broadcaster 21st Century Fox and publisher News Corp.
Rupert is currently married to Jerry Hall. His previous wives were Wendi (Deng) Murdoch, Anna (Torv) Murdoch and Patricia (Booker) Murdoch.
His children from all marriages are Chloe, Grace, James, Lachlan, Elisabeth and Prudence.
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