Wednesday 22 June 2022 11:35 PM Will Murdoch share his $25bn fortune? Jerry Hall, 65, and media titan Rupert, ... trends now

Wednesday 22 June 2022 11:35 PM Will Murdoch share his $25bn fortune? Jerry Hall, 65, and media titan Rupert, ... trends now
Wednesday 22 June 2022 11:35 PM Will Murdoch share his $25bn fortune? Jerry Hall, 65, and media titan Rupert, ... trends now

Wednesday 22 June 2022 11:35 PM Will Murdoch share his $25bn fortune? Jerry Hall, 65, and media titan Rupert, ... trends now

Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall are to divorce after six years together, it was reported last night.

Friends of the 91-year-old media tycoon and 65-year-old model were 'surprised' by the sudden split, The New York Times said.

The union represented a fourth marriage for Mr Murdoch, who is worth an estimated $25billion. It was technically a first marriage for Miss Hall, following a 22-year relationship – and four children – with Mick Jagger. She tied the knot with the Rolling Stones frontman on a beach in Bali in 1990, but this was annulled following their split in 1999.

It is not known whether Mr Murdoch and Miss Hall had signed a pre-nuptial agreement. However, Mr Murdoch did have one with his third wife, Wendi Deng.

Revellers at Mr Murdoch's summer party earlier this week had noted Miss Hall's absence. One of those present at the Serpentine Gallery in London on Monday evening said: 'I did think it was odd that she wasn't there. She's a social butterfly and would generally be at these sort of functions.

'I also noticed that none of her side of the family was there, nor her friends.'

Mr Murdoch and Miss Hall were last seen together in public in London in August 2021, when they were pictured arriving separately for a dinner. They are understood to have left together in a shared car.

The New York Times cited two sources for its story of the split. Both spoke on condition of anonymity.

Friends told the newspaper that during the early days of his marriage to Miss Hall, Mr Murdoch was 'happily devoting more time to his new wife', leaving son Lachlan – his chosen successor at the helm of his media empire – and his other children to 'assert themselves at the top of the corporate hierarchy'.

Mr Murdoch's businesses include Sky TV and the Sun and Times newspapers. He also owns US television network Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, along with several ventures in his native Australia. 

Wedding photo of Jerry Hall and Rupert Murdoch with their family. Back row, left to right: Georgia May Jagger, Laclan Murdoch, Prudence Murdoch, James Jagger, Gabriel Jagger, Elizabeth Murdoch, James Murdoch and Lizzie Jagger. Murdoch and Jerry Hall are seated in the middle of the picture with his daughters Chloe (left) and Grace (right) in the front row

Wedding photo of Jerry Hall and Rupert Murdoch with their family. Back row, left to right: Georgia May Jagger, Laclan Murdoch, Prudence Murdoch, James Jagger, Gabriel Jagger, Elizabeth Murdoch, James Murdoch and Lizzie Jagger. Murdoch and Jerry Hall are seated in the middle of the picture with his daughters Chloe (left) and Grace (right) in the front row

Elizabeth Jagger, Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall, Rupert Murdoch, Harvey Keitel and Daphne Kaster pose together

Elizabeth Jagger, Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall, Rupert Murdoch, Harvey Keitel and Daphne Kaster pose together

Jerry Hall and media businessman Rupert Murdoch bought a sprawling mansion to live in together in the Cotswolds

Jerry Hall and media businessman Rupert Murdoch bought a sprawling mansion to live in together in the Cotswolds

Australian media titan Rupert Murdoch is said to be divorcing his fourth wife Jerry Hall after just six years of marriage

Australian media titan Rupert Murdoch is said to be divorcing his fourth wife Jerry Hall after just six years of marriage

The 91-year-old tied the knot with Hall, 65, in a low-key ceremony in London in March 2016. The couple is pictured shortly after the ceremony

The 91-year-old tied the knot with Hall, 65, in a low-key ceremony in London in March 2016. The couple is pictured shortly after the ceremony 

The Mail on Sunday revealed in October 2015 that Murdoch and Hall were dating - days before they made their public debut as a couple at the rugby in Twickenham (pictured)

The Mail on Sunday revealed in October 2015 that Murdoch and Hall were dating - days before they made their public debut as a couple at the rugby in Twickenham (pictured) 

Murdoch and Hall were last seen together in public in London in August 2021, when they were pictured arriving separately at a dinner. They are understood to have then left together in a shared car

Murdoch and Hall were last seen together in public in London in August 2021, when they were pictured arriving separately at a dinner. They are understood to have then left together in a shared car

Murdoch and Hall were last seen together in public in London in August 2021, when they were pictured arriving separately at a dinner (seen). They are understood to have then left together in a shared car

After Murdoch and Hall tied the knot, the billionaire tweeted that he 'felt like the luckiest and happiest man in the world'

After Murdoch and Hall tied the knot, the billionaire tweeted that he 'felt like the luckiest and happiest man in the world'

Mr Murdoch met Miss Hall after his split from Miss Deng, 53, whom he divorced in 2014 after 14 years of marriage. An entrepreneur and investor, Miss Deng hit headlines in 2011 when she slapped a man who had thrown a custard pie at her husband at a parliamentary committee during the phone-hacking scandal.

When the couple split, there was speculation – denied by Miss Deng – that she had grown close to Tony Blair, the godfather of her and Mr Murdoch's daughter Grace.

Mr Murdoch met Miss Hall in Australia in 2015. After weeks of speculation, the couple went public at the rugby world cup final at Twickenham in London that October. Mr Murdoch was photographed kissing Miss Hall on the cheek while she smiled broadly.

They made their first red carpet appearance together at the Golden Globes in 2016. Friends said at the time: 'Rupert couldn't be happier. He's not acting like some dotty old man who's in love with a teenager. He just seems really, really happy. It's a wonderful thing'.

Miss Hall moved out of the $23million home in Richmond, south-west London, where she had lived since her split with Sir Mick after discovering he had fathered a child with Brazilian model Luciana Gimenez. Announcing his engagement on Twitter, Mr Murdoch called himself 'the luckiest and happiest man in the world'. He presented Miss Hall with a 20-carat ring believed to be worth over $4.3million.

Their official wedding was a small affair, a week before Mr Murdoch's 85th birthday, attended by a handful of close friends. Days later, they held a public ceremony at St Bride's church in London's Fleet Street with guests including Bob Geldof, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tom Stoppard, Tracey Emin and Michael Caine. Miss Hall wore an ice-blue silk Vivienne Westwood gown, believed to have cost about $14,000. 

The couple's wedding was attended by all ten of their children, including Murdoch's two sons, Lachlan (left) and James (right)

The couple's wedding was attended by all ten of their children, including Murdoch's two sons, Lachlan (left) and James (right)

Murdoch's youngest two daughters Chloe and Grace (pictured) and Hall's two daughters Georgia May and Elizabeth served as bridesmaids during the ceremony

Murdoch's youngest two daughters Chloe and Grace and Hall's two daughters Georgia May and Elizabeth (pictured) served as bridesmaids during the ceremony

Murdoch's youngest two daughters Chloe and Grace (left) and Hall's two daughters Georgia May and Elizabeth (right) served as bridesmaids during the ceremony

News of the couple's divorce comes just seven months after it was revealed that they had purchased a $ million 340,000-acre cattle ranch in Montana

News of the couple's divorce comes just seven months after it was revealed that they had purchased a $407 million 340,000-acre cattle ranch in Montana

Murdoch described the purchase of Beaverhead Ranch as a 'profound responsibility', adding via a spokesperson that he and Hall planned to spend time together on the property

Murdoch described the purchase of Beaverhead Ranch as a 'profound responsibility', adding via a spokesperson that he and Hall planned to spend time together on the property 

The ranch is located near Yellowstone National Park on a 50-mile long property in Montana

The ranch is located near Yellowstone National Park on a 50-mile long property in Montana

Hall was in a 22-year relationship with Rolling Stones rocker Mick Jagger from 1977 until 1999. The pair (pictured in 1982) never officially married however they share four children together

Hall was in a 22-year relationship with Rolling Stones rocker Mick Jagger from 1977 until 1999. The pair (pictured in 1982) never officially married however they share four children together

Friends said Miss Hall brought more 'balance' to her husband's life after decades of focus on his businesses. Among the few signs of tension was when Miss Hall pulled out a West End revival of The Graduate. Mr Murdoch reportedly banned her from reprising the role of Mrs Robinson, which she had previously played in London and involves on-stage nudity.

Last year, Miss Hall attended Mr Murdoch's 90th birthday party at Tavern on the Green, an upmarket restaurant in New York. She reportedly 'doted' on him during the festivities, which were attended by luminaries from business, sports and politics, a source said.

Mr Murdoch's first wife was Patricia Booker, an Australian model. They divorced in 1965.

He was married to his second, Anna, a former newspaper reporter, for more than three decades until they split in 1999. Their divorce remains the second most expensive in history at a reported cost to Mr Murdoch of $2.7billion. Before dating Sir Mick, Miss Hall was in a relationship with singer Bryan Ferry and was the cover star of his 1975 album Siren.

Between them, Mr Murdoch and Miss Hall have ten children. Mr Murdoch's are: Prudence, 63, from his first marriage; Elisabeth, 53, Lachlan, 50, and James, 49, from his second; and Grace, 21, and Chloe, 19, from his third. Miss Hall has four children, all with Sir Mick: Elizabeth, 38, James, 36, Georgia May, 30, and Gabriel, 24.

At Mr Murdoch's summer party on Monday evening, the tycoon talked to Boris Johnson for 15 minutes. Other Cabinet members present included Priti Patel, Liz Truss, Michael Gove, Sajid Javid and Kemi Badenoch, the local government minister.

Mr Murdoch's children Lachlan, Grace and Chloe were also present, a source said. A spokesman for Miss Hall could not be reached for comment last night.

A spokesman for Mr Murdoch declined to comment.

Mansions and $407MILLION ranch may be part of settlement 

Speculation was rife last night over how the vast wealth of Rupert Murdoch would be affected by a divorce.

It is unclear how much of the media mogul’s $25billion fortune may go to Jerry Hall. Lawyer Mark Stephens, of the Howard Kennedy firm, said Mr Murdoch may have signed a ‘fairly generous’ pre-nuptial agreement.

This would have been drafted with the ‘anticipation of not interfering with the line of succession’, for the tycoon’s business empire. Daily Mail Australia understands any divorce is unlikely to affect the ownership of his companies. 

Murdoch was married three times before he tied the knot with Hall. He wed his third wife Wendi Deng in June 1999 and the pair had two daughters together, Chloe and Grace (seen in 2019), before divorcing in 2013

Murdoch was married three times before he tied the knot with Hall. He wed his third wife Wendi Deng in June 1999 and the pair had two daughters together, Chloe and Grace (seen in 2019), before divorcing in 2013 

News Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng pose near the Statue of Liberty on June 25, 1999 (REUTERS/Stringer/Files)

News Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng pose near the Statue of Liberty on June 25, 1999 (REUTERS/Stringer/Files)

However, properties the couple have acquired since marrying may be at stake. In 2019, they bought an $21million Georgian property near Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. A year later, it emerged they had snapped up Great Tew Manor – a ‘doer-upper’ in the Cotswolds

read more from dailymail.....

PREV Full list of Easter bank holiday opening hours for major supermarkets: Tesco, ... trends now
NEXT In news vacuum, rumours and concern swirl over Catherine mogaznewsen