Murdoch Distributes $600-Million in News Corp. Shares to Family

NEW YORK, February 5: News Corporation’s chairman and CEO,
Rupert Murdoch, has given $100 million in company shares to each of his six
children, the FT reported today.

Murdoch has one daughter, Prudence, by his first wife;
three—Lachlan, James, and Elisabeth—by his second wife, Anna; and
two, Chloe and Grace, by his third wife, Wendi Deng. The share distribution
comes as News Corp. works on swapping its 38.5-interest in DIRECTV with Liberty
Media’s 16.3-percent stake in News Corp. The deal, once completed, will
increase the Murdoch family’s voting share in News Corp. to 38 percent.