Sealed with a kiss: Rupert Murdoch’s marriage ends in 10 minutes

 
A combination photograph shows Rupert Murdoch
21 November 2013

The 14-year marriage of Rupert Murdoch has ended in a New York court with an “amicable” deal and a kiss from his third ex-wife Wendi Deng.

After 10 minutes of formalities in the Supreme Court Ms Deng pecked the billionaire media tycoon on the cheek and whispered “thank you”.

The couple later issued a joint statement speaking of the “amicable settlement of all matters relating to our divorce”.

It went on: “We move forward with mutual respect and a shared interest in the health and happiness of our two daughters.”

The 82-year-old businessman, whose empire includes News Corp and 21st Century Fox, had filed for divorce in June claiming their relationship had broken down irretrievably.

It is understood Ms Deng, 44, will keep the couple’s three-storey Manhattan penthouse bought eight years ago for £27 million and refurbished for another £31 million. Mr Murdoch will retain his California homes including an estate in Beverly Hills and a 16-acre vineyard bought for £18 million.

Murdoch’s second wife Anna won an estimated £620 million payout in her divorce.

For this, Mr Murdoch’s third marriage, both sides signed one pre-nuptial and two post-nuptial agreements.

Mr Murdoch met his Chinese-born wife in 1997 at a cocktail party in Hong Kong. They were married two years later, weeks after his second divorce.

In 2011, Ms Deng famously leapt to her husband’s defence to slap a protester who threw a pie at him as MPs quizzed him over the phone-hacking scandal that led to the closure of the News of the World.

Mr Murdoch’s global media portfolio includes The Sun, The Times and the Wall Street Journal, as well as television channels such as Fox News and Sky, and the 20th Century Fox movie studio.

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