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Anna Murdoch-Mann passes away in Florida
Anna Murdoch-Mann, the former spouse of media magnate Rupert Murdoch, has died at the age of 81, according to announcements from his media outlets. She passed away on 17 February at her residence in Palm Beach, Florida, surrounded by family.
Life and career alongside Rupert Murdoch
Born Anna Torv in Glasgow and raised Catholic, she relocated to Australia at the age of nine. Following her parents' divorce, she took on the responsibility of raising her younger siblings. Murdoch-Mann began her journalism career at the Sydney Daily Telegraph and the Sydney Daily Mirror, where she met Rupert Murdoch.
The couple married and remained together for 31 years. During their marriage, she served on the board of News Corp, influencing major business decisions. As The Australian noted, Rupert Murdoch rarely made significant moves without her input.
Family and personal achievements
Murdoch-Mann was the mother of three of Rupert Murdoch's children-Elisabeth, James, and Lachlan, the latter now serving as chairman of Fox and News Corp. She was also stepmother to Murdoch's daughter, Prudence.
Beyond her role in the Murdoch empire, she authored several novels, including Family Business (1988), a story centered on a multi-generational media dynasty. A committed philanthropist, she supported children's hospitals in Los Angeles and Haiti and was honored as a Dame of the Order of St Gregory by Pope John Paul II in 1998.
A life marked by drama and legacy
In 1969, while living in London, Murdoch-Mann was mistakenly targeted in a kidnapping plot. Muriel McKay, the wife of a Murdoch executive, was abducted and killed by the assailants. Efforts to locate her remains have continued in recent years.
The Murdochs' high-profile divorce in 1999 became one of the costliest separations in history, with Anna receiving a $1.7 billion (£1 billion) settlement. Rupert Murdoch remarried Wendi Deng just 17 days later.
"I think there's going to be a lot of heartbreak and hardship" over the succession of Murdoch's media empire, she told Australian Women's Weekly in an exclusive post-divorce interview. "There's been such a lot of pressure that they needn't have had at their age."
Her concerns about family tensions later inspired the television series Succession and played out in real-life legal battles. A prolonged court dispute concluded last year with Lachlan Murdoch positioned to lead the news group.
Later years and legacy
After her divorce from Rupert Murdoch, she remarried twice-first to financier William Mann, who died in 2017, and later to Ashton dePeyster, who survives her. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
