In one of the few showbusiness divorces to be of real interest to readers of the world’s business pages and no doubt even more to his children, Rupert Murdoch has finalised the financial details of his split from Jerry Hall.
Murdoch and Hall jointly stated that they had ended legal proceedings and that financial arrangements were settled outside of court in a joint statement.
Following the end of their six-year marriage – Murdoch’s fourth – Hall is expected to receive a multi-million-pound settlement, as well as the couple’s £11m Oxfordshire mansion, Holmwood House. She will also be receiving a villa in southern France.
Murdoch will still have his penthouse apartment in New York. The 91-year-old media mogul will retain possession of his New York penthouse apartment, as well as his house in London’s Mayfair and the jewel in his property crown, his Moraga Estate vineyard in Bel-Air.
The couple surprised media observers with news of their split, after Murdoch’s marriage to Hall in 2016 prompted him to call himself “the luckiest AND happiest man in the world.”
Hall appeared briefly to be winning the PR battle with her husband, who was photographed getting divorce papers while boarding a plane. Hall claimed that she is a California resident. Any property acquired by a couple in the course of a marriage will be deemed joint property.
The pair went on a spending spree soon after their marriage – including the $200m acquisition of a sprawling ranch in Montana – but it is unclear whether this prompted Murdoch’s swift move to clear up any outstanding financial matters smoothly.
The couple’s joint statement confirmed: “Jerry and Rupert Murdoch have finalised their divorce. They remain good friends and wish each other the best for the future.”
Murdoch is a master at paying out. After their 32-year marriage ended, Murdoch paid Anna $1.7bn. His third wife Wendi Deng was also reported to have received a substantial sum. He can afford to be generous with such things, however, as his fortune is estimated at $21.7bn.