Rupert Murdoch is one of the most influential figures in the news media. The business tycoon and media proprietor is the head of News Crop, which controls hundreds of news organizations worldwide, including Fox News, The Sun, The New York Post, and The Daily Telegraph.
Murdoch is counted among the richest people in the world. In 2022, he was declared the 31st richest person in the United States. But how much is the exact net worth of the media mogul? Read on to find out.
Rupert Murdoch Net Worth
As per Forbes, Rupert Murdoch’s net worth stands at $17.2 Billion as of March 2023. He currently ranks 35 on Forbes’ list of the wealthiest Americans. Murdoch’s wealth peaked in 2021 when his net worth was estimated at $23.5 billion, a stark increase from the previous year’s value of $14.9 billion.
The businessman has consistently made it to the list of the 100 richest persons on the planet. In 1990, he was ranked 60, and by 2022, he was named the 72nd wealthiest person. Murdoch, who is an Australian by birth, started his career by taking over The News, a local newspaper in Adelaide set up by his father.
Career as Media Proprietor
He soon turned The News into a successful national newspaper and started acquiring other local publications before setting up The Australian. He then took over the struggling newspapers of the UK: News of the World and The Sun, and turned them into successful ventures.Â
In 1973, he acquired his first US paper, the San Antonio Express-News, followed by The New York Post in 1976. Ten years later, he founded the Fox Broadcasting Company, which soon became the country’s leading media company.
In 2013, News Corporation branched out of 21st Century Fox as its media company. The firm, and hence Murdoch, now owns some of the most influential news channels and publications, including Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The Times, Sky News Australia, The Daily Telegraph, and HarperCollins.
In 2019, 21st Century Fox was bought by Disney for a whopping $71 billion. Murdoch, who owned a 17% stake in Fox, received $12 billion in Disney stock through the deal. His six children also benefitted from the take-over as they were paid $10 billion. The media tycoon now owns 39% of Fox Corporation. His share is estimated to be worth $4 billion.
Real Estate Investments
Between 2012 and 2014, Murdoch bought three units in the Porter House building in New York City’s meatpacking district for $12.85 million. Earlier in 2011, he purchased a 12,000-square-foot Georgian townhouse in New York for $23 million. He also owns two units in NYC’s One Madison condo tower worth $58 million.
Murdoch is also the owner of a 16-acre vineyard estate in Bel-Air, Los Angeles, which he bought in 2013 for $28.8 million. He first met his fiancée Ann Lesley Smith at the same vineyard when she visited the place in September 2022.
In 2021, the businessman purchased a 340,000-acre ranch in Montana by paying $200 million. The deal is said to be the biggest ranch sale in the history of the state. The property spans 50 miles and comprises two dozen houses. In February 2023, Murdoch shelled out $30 mullion for a 6,500 square foot apartment on Central Park South.
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