Rupert Murdoch’s net worth over time
Only dates with a published estimate are shown. Nothing is filled in between. Tap or hover a bar to see the source.
See the numbers as a table
| Date | Estimate | Source |
| 2019 | $19.4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 |
| 2020 | $14.9 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 |
| 2021 | $23.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2022 | $20.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 |
| 2023 | $17.1 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $19.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $23 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $22.7 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $25.4 billion | Forbes Real-Time Billionaires · Forbes real-time estimate |
Where the money comes from
These are the main sources of wealth named in the reporting we cite. No published source breaks the total into exact amounts, so we do not show percentages.
Rupert Murdoch’s fortune in real-life terms
Based on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimate above. Median full-time U.S. pay is $65,416 a year ($1,258 a week, BLS, Q2 2026), before taxes. Typical (median) U.S. family net worth is $216,100 (Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances).
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Rupert Murdoch has an estimated net worth of $25.4 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Rupert Murdoch profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $19.4 billion in 2019.
Rupert Murdoch is a media executive best known for building News Corp and a wide network of newspapers and TV businesses. His holdings have included The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, The Times of London, HarperCollins, Fox News, and Sky News Australia. He took over a small Adelaide paper after his father died in 1952, then spent the 1950s and 1960s buying more outlets in Australia and New Zealand before moving into bigger markets.
His rise came through steady expansion across the United Kingdom and the United States. He entered Britain in 1969 with News of the World and The Sun, moved to New York City in 1974, bought The New York Post in 1976, and added The Times in 1981. Later, News Corporation acquired Twentieth Century Fox in 1985, HarperCollins in 1989, and The Wall Street Journal in 2007. Forbes says he had $25.4 billion in October 2026.
How Rupert Murdoch built his fortune
Murdoch’s wealth comes from media, especially newspapers and TV. Forbes ties his fortune to newspapers and a TV network, and its notes say he built an empire that includes Fox News, The Times of London, and The Wall Street Journal. Through News Corp, he has owned publishing outlets in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, along with HarperCollins. Earlier in his career, he expanded by buying papers and later adding major broadcast and film assets.
Several deals shaped that business. He bought The New York Post in 1976, his first major U.S. purchase, and still owns it. News Corporation later acquired Twentieth Century Fox in 1985, HarperCollins in 1989, and The Wall Street Journal in 2007. Forbes also notes that he sold most of Fox’s movie studio, FX, National Geographic Networks, and its stake in Star India to Disney for $71.3 billion in 2019. He stepped down as chairman in 2023.
Forbes net worth over time
Forbes has shown large swings in Murdoch’s fortune in recent years. Its World’s Billionaires list placed him at $19.4 billion in 2019, then $14.9 billion in 2020, before rising to $23.5 billion in 2021. The estimate later moved to $20.8 billion in 2022 and $17.1 billion in 2023. Those changes came during a period that included the Disney transaction and a reshaped Fox business focused on broadcast, cable news, business, and sports networks.
More recently, Forbes put him at $19.5 billion in 2024 and $23 billion in 2025. On Forbes’ real-time billionaires tracker, he stood at $25.4 billion as of October 20, 2026. By that point, Lachlan Murdoch was chairing the new Fox, while Rupert Murdoch had already stepped down as chairman in 2023. That leaves his wealth tied to the media companies and assets he spent decades assembling across publishing and television.
Career and money timeline
- 1952
He took over the running of The News after his father died.
- 1964
He launched The Australian, Australia’s first national daily newspaper.
- 1976
He bought The New York Post, his first major U.S. purchase.
- 1981
He acquired The Times, his first British broadsheet.
- 2007
News Corporation acquired The Wall Street Journal.
- 2019
He sold major Fox entertainment assets to Disney for $71.3 billion.
- 2023
He stepped down as chairman, according to Forbes.
Rupert Murdoch net worth FAQ
What is Rupert Murdoch's net worth?
Rupert Murdoch's net worth is an estimated $25.4 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Rupert Murdoch profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Rupert Murdoch get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Newspapers, TV network.
Is Rupert Murdoch a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Rupert Murdoch is worth $25.4 billion.
How has Rupert Murdoch's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $19.4 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $25.4 billion (October 20, 2026).
What companies is Rupert Murdoch best known for?
Forbes says his empire has included Fox News, The Times of London, and The Wall Street Journal. The facts also list News Corp, HarperCollins, and The New York Post.
What was Rupert Murdoch’s latest Forbes net worth?
Forbes listed him at $25.4 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Rupert Murdoch profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Rupert Murdoch profile (March 5, 2019)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Rupert Murdoch profile (April 8, 2020)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Rupert Murdoch profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Rupert Murdoch profile (April 5, 2022)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Rupert Murdoch profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Rupert Murdoch profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Rupert Murdoch profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Rupert Murdoch profile (March 10, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Usual Weekly Earnings (Q2 2026) (July 2026)
- Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances (median family net worth, Table 4) (October 2026)
- Background facts: Wikipedia, Rupert Murdoch (accessed October 20, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
Photo: Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Every number on this page is an estimate published by the source named next to it. We never fill in years with our own guesses. How we handle estimates.