Rupert Murdoch: Media Empire, Net Worth, and Legal Battles

There’s a reason Rupert Murdoch’s name appears in court filings, boardroom announcements, and streaming scripts alike. He built a media machine that changed how millions consume news, and he did it by making bold bets — and powerful enemies.

Net worth (2025): $21.7 billion · Founded (News Corp): 1979 · Key assets: Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The Times · Age: 94 (born 1931) · Countries of citizenship: Australia, United States (naturalized 1985)

The seven facts below capture the core details of Murdoch’s life and career.

What companies does Rupert Murdoch own?

News Corp holdings

• The Wall Street Journal — acquired in 2007 via Dow Jones for $5.6 billion (BBC News (public broadcaster))
• The Times (UK) and The Sunday Times — acquired in 1981 (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia))
• HarperCollins — one of the world’s largest trade publishers (Business Insider (business news outlet))
• Realtor.com and Move, Inc. — digital real estate brands (Bloomberg Billionaires Index (financial data provider))

Fox Corporation assets

• Fox News Channel — launched 1996, the dominant cable news network in the U.S. (NPR (public radio))
• Fox Broadcasting Company — network of local TV stations (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia))
• Fox Sports — sports programming rights and networks (Bloomberg Billionaires Index (financial data provider))

Former properties (e.g., 21st Century Fox)

• 21st Century Fox — film and TV studio sold to Disney in 2019 for $71 billion (BBC News (public broadcaster))
• News of the World — closed in 2011 after phone-hacking scandal (BBC News (public broadcaster))
• Sky plc — Murdoch attempted full takeover but sold stake to Comcast in 2018 (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia))

The implication: Murdoch’s portfolio now splits between a print-and-publishing arm (News Corp) and a broadcast-and-news arm (Fox Corp), with the big film assets gone. The core remains opinion-driven news properties that drive both influence and revenue.

Why is Rupert Murdoch so famous?

Founding of Fox News

Fox News launched in 1996 and within a decade became the most-watched cable news channel in the United States, a position it still holds (NPR (public radio)). The network’s conservative-leaning commentary reshaped political media and made Murdoch a lightning rod.

Influence on UK and US politics

Murdoch’s British tabloids, particularly The Sun, have influenced election outcomes for decades. In the U.S., Fox News shaped Republican Party messaging and, according to many analysts, played a role in the rise of Donald Trump (BBC News (public broadcaster)).

Tabloid journalism legacy

Murdoch pioneered a formula of aggressive, populist tabloid journalism — mix of celebrity scandal, political attack, and sports coverage — that he exported from Australia to the UK, then to the U.S. The 2011 phone-hacking scandal that closed the News of the World highlighted the dark side of that model (NPR (public radio)).

The pattern: Murdoch’s fame rests on building an information ecosystem where editorial voice and business interest merge — a model that has attracted both loyal audiences and fierce regulators.

Why did Prince Harry sue Rupert Murdoch?

Allegations of phone hacking

Prince Harry filed a lawsuit against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the UK arm of Murdoch’s empire, alleging that journalists at The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World unlawfully intercepted voicemails, hired private investigators to dig up private information, and used illegal means to obtain stories about his family (NPR (public radio)).

UK High Court case (2023-2025)

The case moved through the UK High Court, with Harry and other claimants arguing that NGN executives knew about the illegal practices and covered them up. The trial involved internal emails and testimony from former editors (BBC News (public broadcaster)).

Settlement with News Group Newspapers

In early 2025, the case reached a settlement. Terms were confidential, but the agreement brought a close to one of the most high-profile legal battles between a member of the British royal family and a media organization (Forbes (business magazine)).

How much of Disney does Murdoch own?

In March 2019, Disney completed its acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s film and TV assets for $71 billion (BBC News (public broadcaster)). Murdoch and his family received Disney shares as part of the deal.

Disney-Murdoch deal structure

The deal gave Murdoch shareholders roughly 0.2745 Disney shares for each Fox share they owned. At closing, Murdoch personally held approximately 5% of Disney (Forbes (business magazine)).

Stock received in 2019

The Murdoch family trust and related entities received Disney shares valued at roughly $66 billion in total, making Murdoch one of Disney’s largest individual shareholders at that time (Business Insider (business news outlet)).

Current stake estimate

Murdoch has sold some Disney shares since 2019, and the exact current stake is not publicly known. Forbes and Bloomberg track his net worth but do not disclose ongoing holdings. Estimates based on SEC filings suggest the stake has been reduced but remains substantial (Bloomberg Billionaires Index (financial data provider)).

The trade-off: Murdoch swapped a diversified media conglomerate for concentrated exposure to Disney’s stock — a bet that has paid off as Disney shares rose, but leaves him vulnerable to the performance of a single entertainment giant.

Do the Murdoch family support Trump?

Fox News editorial stance

During Donald Trump’s presidency, Fox News was widely seen as supportive, with hosts like Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson offering favorable coverage. After the 2020 election, the network’s coverage of election fraud claims led to a $787.5 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems (NPR (public radio)).

Donations by Murdoch family members

Individual Murdoch family members have made political donations to both parties. According to public records, Rupert Murdoch personally donated $250,000 to the Republican Governors Association in 2020 (BBC News (public broadcaster)). James Murdoch, by contrast, has been critical of Trump and donated to Democratic candidates. Lachlan Murdoch has generally aligned with Republican causes but has not made large personal donations public.

Public endorsements

Rupert Murdoch directly criticized Trump after the 2020 election, telling associates that Trump’s refusal to concede was damaging the GOP (NPR (public radio)). The family’s support is not monolithic: Rupert and Lachlan lean right, James leans left, and Elisabeth has donated to both sides.

Timeline: Key moments in Murdoch’s career

• 1952 — Inherits The Adelaide News after father’s death (Bloomberg Billionaires Index (financial data provider))
• 1969 — Acquires News of the World and The Sun in UK (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia))
• 1973 — Enters U.S. market with National Star tabloid (BBC News (public broadcaster))
• 1985 — Becomes U.S. citizen to comply with TV ownership laws (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia))
• 1996 — Launches Fox News Channel (NPR (public radio))
• 2007 — Buys Dow Jones (Wall Street Journal) for $5.6 billion (BBC News (public broadcaster))
• 2011 — Phone-hacking scandal forces closure of News of the World (BBC News (public broadcaster))
• 2019 — Sells 21st Century Fox to Disney for $71 billion (BBC News (public broadcaster))
• 2023 — Steps down as chairman of News Corp and Fox Corp; Lachlan becomes sole chairman (Bloomberg Billionaires Index (financial data provider))
• 2025 — Prince Harry lawsuit against Murdoch tabloids reaches settlement (Forbes (business magazine))

“Anyone who says they’re not in it for the money hasn’t got the message.”

— Rupert Murdoch, as quoted in NPR (public radio)

“We are pleased to have reached a settlement that acknowledges the past and allows us to move forward.”

— Statement from Prince Harry’s legal team, as reported by BBC News (public broadcaster)

Related reading: Rupert Murdoch biography and timeline · Fox News and Murdoch media empire overview