Rupert Murdoch's
move to divorce third wife Wendi Deng Murdoch is not expected to affect his
News Corp. media empire.
Murdoch filed papers
in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan that stated "the relationship between
the husband and wife has broken down irretrievably," according to the
Associated Press.
The 82-year-old
mogul controls the company through a 40% stake in voting shares owned by a
family trust. His four eldest children have equal voting rights to elect
trustees, giving them say over News Corp. after Murdoch's death.
Two adult sons and
one adult daughter, James, Lachlan and Elisabeth, have active roles in the
company.
Murdoch's children
with Wendi Deng Murdoch, Grace, 11, and Chloe, 9, have no voting stake in the
company, but they are beneficiaries of non-voting shares held in a trust,
according to the AP. Mrs. Murdoch also has non-voting shares.
The divorce filing
comes weeks before News Corp. is schedule to be split into two companies: 21st
Century Fox, which will own the TV and movie assets and News Corp., which will
hold the publishing businesses.
A News Corp. spokesman declined to comment.
