Author and philanthropist Anna Murdoch-Mann has died at the age of 81, according to reports from News Corp mastheads. She passed away on Tuesday, surrounded by her family at her Palm Beach home in Florida, as reported by the New York Post on Friday.
Anna Murdoch-Mann, a Scottish-born journalist, was married to media mogul Rupert Murdoch for 31 years. She played an integral role as his “active partner” in the creation and expansion of the News Corp media empire.
A Life of Resilience and Ambition
Born Anna Torv in 1944 in Glasgow, Scotland, her family emigrated to Australia when she was just nine years old. Her parents initially established a picnic park outside Sydney, but after the venture failed, the family moved to a high-rise in the city’s outer-west. Shortly thereafter, her mother left the family.
“She didn’t mean to hurt anybody,” Murdoch-Mann later reflected. “I think she was rather a lost soul.” Left to care for her two younger brothers and sister, Anna demonstrated resilience and determination from a young age.
Her career in journalism began at the Murdoch-owned Sydney Daily Mirror, where she quickly rose through the ranks. She soon became the editor of the cadet newspaper and set her sights on interviewing Rupert Murdoch himself. Murdoch later recalled, “I thought she was a very pretty girl. Her writing skills were not going through my mind.”
The Murdoch Years and Beyond
Anna and Rupert Murdoch’s relationship blossomed, and they married, having three children together: Elisabeth, James, and Lachlan, who is now the chair of News Corp. However, their marriage ended in 1998 following Rupert Murdoch’s affair with Wendi Deng, whom he later married.
In an interview with the Australian Women’s Weekly, Murdoch-Mann candidly discussed the marriage and her efforts to save it, describing Rupert as “extremely hard, ruthless and determined he was going to go through with this.” Despite reports of an “amicable” separation, Murdoch-Mann later revealed that she was forced to leave her position as a non-executive director on the News Corp board. “I wasn’t given a choice. I was told … ‘you get off the board’,” she stated.
On the day she announced her resignation, she had lunch with Wall Street financier William Mann, who had lost two wives to cancer. “I knew it was going to be a shitty day … and that I needed something nice,” she recalled. The two married a year later in 1999.
Legacy of Philanthropy and Literature
Anna Murdoch-Mann opted for a settlement of $200 million in her divorce, half in cash and the remainder in property. Under California law, she could have claimed half of Murdoch’s wealth, but she insisted on an equal division of control over the business between her ex-husband and their children. This decision laid the groundwork for a family agreement last year that cemented Lachlan’s leadership over the media empire, ending speculation about succession after Rupert Murdoch’s passing.
The intricate family dynamics and power struggles within the Murdoch family are widely believed to have inspired the television series “Succession.”
Beyond her contributions to the media industry, Murdoch-Mann was a published author, with three novels to her name: In Her Own Image (1985), Family Business (1988), and Coming To Terms (1992). Her philanthropic efforts were extensive, particularly in children’s causes. She served as the chair of both the LA Children’s Hospital and the Hospital Albert Schweitzer for children in Deschapelles, Haiti.
In 1998, her charitable work was recognized when she was made a Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great by Pope John Paul II.
Final Years and Family
Murdoch-Mann remained married to William Mann until his death in 2017. Two years later, she married Ashton dePeyster. She is survived by dePeyster, her three children, ten grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Her legacy continues through her family and her work, leaving an indelible mark on both the media and philanthropic worlds.
Anna Murdoch-Mann was also the aunt of Australian actor Anna Torv, whose father is Murdoch-Mann’s brother. The ABC has reached out to family representatives for comment on her passing.
