Anna Murdoch Mann, Media Heir and Philanthropist, Dies at 81

Anna Murdoch Mann, the ex-wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and a prominent figure in the development of News Corp, died on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at her home in Palm Beach, Florida. She was 81 years old. Her death was reported by the New York Post [1].

Early Life and Career

Born Anna Maria Torv on June 30, 1944, in Glasgow, Scotland, she was the daughter of Jakob Tõrv, an Estonian merchant seaman, and Sylvia Iris Bodfish, a Scottish drycleaner’s shop assistant. [1] Her family emigrated to Australia in 1953, settling in Sydney. [1]

Torv began her journalism career at age 18, working at the Sydney Daily Mirror and later the Sydney Daily Telegraph. [1] She met Rupert Murdoch although interviewing him after he purchased the Daily Mirror. [1]

Marriage to Rupert Murdoch and Role at News Corp

Anna Torv married Rupert Murdoch in 1967. [1] During their 31-year marriage, she reportedly played an active role in building Murdoch’s media empire, News Corp, and served on its board of directors. [2] The couple had three children: Elisabeth, James, and Lachlan, who currently chairs News Corp. [2]

The marriage ended in 1998 following Murdoch’s affair with Wendi Deng. [2] Murdoch Mann stated she was forced off the News Corp board after the split. [2] Their divorce was finalized in 1999, with a reported settlement of $1.7 billion. [2]

Later Life and Philanthropy

In October 1999, Murdoch Mann married Wall Street financier William Mann. [2] She remained married to him until his death in 2017. In 2019, she married Ashton dePeyster. [2]

Murdoch Mann was also an author, publishing three novels under the name Anna Murdoch: In Her Own Image (1985), Family Business (1988), and Coming to Terms (1992). [1]

She was actively involved in philanthropic work, holding leadership roles at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Haiti’s Hospital Albert Schweitzer. [1] In 1998, she was made a Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great by Pope John Paul II. [1]

Succession and Family Legacy

In 2001, Murdoch Mann gave a revealing interview to the Australian Women’s Weekly, discussing the difficulties of her marriage and expressing concerns about potential competition among her children for control of the Murdoch media empire. [2] Her observations were noted as a possible inspiration for the HBO series Succession. [2]

In September 2025, Lachlan Murdoch, her eldest son, secured control of the family’s media empire. [2]