Rupert Murdoch, 96, Announces Engagement to Ann Lesley Smith, 66: 'I Was Very Nervous'
Rupert Murdoch is engaged to Ann Lesley Smith after proposing to the former police chaplain on St. Patrick's Day in New York City.
The media mogul announced the engagement to one his own newspapers, The New York Post, in an interview published Monday.
Murdoch, 92, met his fiancée, 66, last September, just one month after he finalized his divorce from supermodel Jerry Hall, 66, in August.
The billionaire told the New York Post he gave Smith an Asscher-cut diamond solitaire ring which he chose himself. "I was very nervous. I dreaded falling in love — but I knew this would be my last," he told the outlet. "It better be. I'm happy."
In reply, Smith said she can "speak Rupert's language."
"We share the same beliefs," she added in the interview. Smith was previously married to country singer Chester Smith and has worked in radio, TV and print media.
Steven Ferdman/Getty Images; Ann Lesley Live Facebook Rupert Murdoch announces engagement to Ann Lesley Smith
The New York Post reported the couple would tie the knot in late summer 2023.
RELATED: Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall Finalize Divorce After 6 Years of Marriage
The Chairman and CEO of News Corp. is believed to have a fortune of around $17 billion, according to Forbes. His empire includes Fox News, the Wall Street Journal and a string of other media assets around the world.
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The Australian-born Murdoch married his first wife Patricia Booker in 1956, from whom he divorced in 1967. That same year, he married Anna Maria Torv.
They divorced in 1999, the same year Murdoch married his third wife, Wendi Deng, from whom he would split in 2013. The three marriages resulted in six children.
Murdoch and Hall married in a civil ceremony at Spencer House in London on March 4, 2016, a rep for the venue confirmed with PEOPLE at the time. They were married for six years.
