Anna De Peyster, Rupert Murdoch's Second Wife, Dies at 81

De Peyster was a former News Corp. board member and mother to the Murdoch children.

Feb. 21, 2026 at 12:57am

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Anna de Peyster, the second wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and mother to their three children James, Elisabeth, and Lachlan Murdoch, has died at the age of 81 in Palm Beach, Florida following a long illness. De Peyster was a former reporter, novelist, and board member of Murdoch's News Corp. who was married to the media titan for 31 years before their divorce in 1998.

Why it matters

De Peyster was a central figure in the Murdoch family dynasty, playing a key role in raising the three children who would later become central figures in the succession drama at News Corp. Her death marks the passing of an era for the Murdoch family and their media empire.

The details

Anna de Peyster, born Anna Torv in Glasgow, Scotland in 1944, emigrated to Australia as a child where she became a reporter. She married Rupert Murdoch in 1967 following his divorce from his first wife. During their 31-year marriage, de Peyster earned a master's degree, wrote three novels, and served on the News Corp. board for eight years before departing after Murdoch's affair with Wendi Deng. De Peyster was later married to investor Ashton de Peyster from 2019 until her death.

  • Anna de Peyster was born in 1944 in Glasgow, Scotland.
  • De Peyster married Rupert Murdoch in 1967.
  • De Peyster served on the News Corp. board from the 1980s until 1998.
  • De Peyster married Ashton de Peyster in 2019.
  • Anna de Peyster died on February 21, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida.

The players

Anna de Peyster

The second wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and mother to their three children James, Elisabeth, and Lachlan Murdoch. She was a former reporter, novelist, and board member of Murdoch's News Corp.

Rupert Murdoch

The media titan and founder of News Corp., who was married to Anna de Peyster for 31 years.

James Murdoch

One of the three children of Rupert and Anna Murdoch, who later cut ties with the family's media empire.

Elisabeth Murdoch

One of the three children of Rupert and Anna Murdoch, who later cut ties with the family's media empire and runs the production company Sister.

Lachlan Murdoch

One of the three children of Rupert and Anna Murdoch, who was reaffirmed as the heir to Rupert Murdoch's media empire and has been CEO of Fox Corp. since 2019.

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What they’re saying

“I think they're all so good that they could do whatever they wanted. But I think there's going to be a lot of heartbreak and hardship' during the succession process.”

— Anna Murdoch-Mann

The takeaway

The death of Anna de Peyster marks the end of an era for the Murdoch family dynasty, as she was a central figure in raising the three children who would later become embroiled in a high-profile succession battle for control of the family's media empire.