Rupert Murdoch buys his fifth fiancee a ring worth up to £2 MILLION, ALISON BOSHOFF reveals
Rupert Murdoch, who is approaching his fifth wedding this summer, seems to be thinking bigger with each subsequent marital adventure.
Our exclusive photos show the 92-year-old media mogul with fiancé Ann Lesley Smith wearing an 11-carat diamond engagement ring that experts say is worth up to £2 million.
The ring, which he revealed he personally selected and presented to Ms Smith on March 17, was said to be “the best of the best.”
Ms Smith, 66, a widow who is wealthy herself, was seen wearing the sparkler when they arrived at the Los Angeles airport this week.
Carol Woolton, editor of Vogue and leading international authority on jewelry, said: ‘It’s the best of the best.
Our exclusive photos show 92-year-old media mogul Rupert Murdoch with fiancée Ann Lesley Smith
The ring (pictured here), which Murdoch revealed he personally selected and presented to Ms Smith on March 17, is worth up to £2 million
‘There’s a similar ring on the market at Sotheby’s for £1 million, but in the shop it might be £2 million.
“It’s interesting that it’s so traditional. The invincibility of the diamond as a stone fits the idea of eternal love.
It suggests it was given by an old-fashioned romantic.
“It’s the largest size diamond you could wear every day.
“If you get engaged at this point in your life, she’s going to want to wear things, not lock them in a safe.”
Mrs. Smith also appeared to be wearing a vintage gold Rolex watch, a diamond necklace and large silver rings.
She also wore a gold pavé cross necklace on a long diamond chain.
Mrs Woolton added: ‘This is the style of a woman who loves gold and jewels. These are pieces that mean something to her.
‘The jewelry mainly shows her style.
“She looks like a woman who likes jewelry. A little gold, things she already had in her jewelry box and likes to wear.’
Ms Smith was introduced to the newly single billionaire in September at a wine event at his Moraga vineyard in California, and he waited a fortnight before asking to see her again.
Media mogul Murdoch, reportedly worth $17 billion, told his newspaper The New York Post: “I was very nervous. I was afraid of falling in love, but I knew it would be my last. Better off. I’m happy.’
Mrs Smith, 66, a widow who is wealthy in her own right, was photographed at the airport rocking the £2 million
The couple was spotted at the airport in Los Angeles after a romantic trip in New York
Mrs. Smith also wore a vintage gold Rolex watch (pictured left), a diamond necklace and large silver rings and a gold pavé cross necklace, on a long diamond chain (pictured right).
Mrs. Smith said, “It’s a gift from God to both of us. We met last September.
‘I am a widow 14 years. Like Rupert, my husband was a businessman. Worked for local newspapers, developed radio and TV stations, and helped promote Univision. So I speak Rupert’s language. We share the same beliefs.
“In perspective, it’s not my first rodeo. Turning 70 means being in the last half. I waited for the right moment. Friends are happy for me.’
Murdoch’s last marriage, to supermodel Jerry Hall, ended abruptly in July last year and the divorce was finalized within five weeks. They were married for six years.
Before that, he was married to media executive Wendi Deng, with whom he has daughters Grace and Chloe.
He was married to journalist Anna Torv from 1967 to 1999 and they had children Liz, James and Lachlan. Prior to that, he was married to flight attendant Patricia Booker and they had daughter Patience.
The jewelery Mrs Smith wears would ‘show her style more than anything’
Media mogul Murdoch (pictured at the airport) is said to be worth $17bn (£13.7bn)
The pair were photographed on the beach in Barbados during their romantic getaway in January this year
Mrs Smith donned a striking yellow bikini number as the pair cooled off in the shade
Last week it emerged that Ms Smith, who also owns a vineyard, had had a falling out with her late husband’s family. They alleged “elderly financial abuse” and said she withheld $1 million (£800,000) owed to each of his three daughters. The case was settled in 2010.
In the Los Angeles photos, Murdoch wears a cap that says “Proud American.”
Murdoch’s Fox News is currently defending a lawsuit filed by voting machine company Dominion, alleging that several Fox hosts promoted a false story suggesting the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.
Murdoch himself appeared in court in late February and said that “in hindsight” he wished Fox had been stronger in denouncing the allegations.
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