Murdoch controls a media empire that includes Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and The Times of London. © 2017 Bloomberg Finance LP Rupert Murdoch is not shy about enjoying the spoils of his success. The News Corp Chairman and CEO—who is the world’s 85th richest person, with an estimated net worth of $21.6 billion—just forked over $200 million with his wife, Jerry Hall, to purchase a sprawling Montana cattle ranch from the billionaire Koch family, according to a new report, marking the latest addition to an already eye-popping portfolio of properties accumulated by the storied media mogul. The deal between the two conservative giants of the mega-rich was first reported Thursday by The Wall Street Journal, citing people with knowledge of the transaction. A spokesperson for Murdoch confirmed the purchase of the ranch, known as Beaverhead, to the WSJ, but did not comment on the price. (Representatives for the Murdoch and Koch families did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Forbes). Beaverhead Ranch, a 340,000-acre working cattle farm located in southwest Montana near Yellowstone National Park, was purchased more than 70 years ago by Fred C. Koch, the late founder of Koch Industries. The conglomerate, which ranks as the U.S.’s second-largest private company according to Forbes, has been run for decades by one of his sons, billionaire Charles Koch, a prolific Republican donor. Now shifting from one billionaire family to another (Forbes estimated the Kochs to be worth $100 billion a year ago, making them America’s second… Click below to read the full story from Forbes
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