Wendi Deng Murdoch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wendi Murdoch
邓文迪 |
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Wendi Deng in 2024
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| Born |
Deng Wen'ge (邓文革)
December 5, 1968 |
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| Nationality | American | ||||||
| Education | Guangzhou Medical University California State University, Northridge (BA) Yale School of Management (MBA) |
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| Children | 2 | ||||||
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| Chinese name | |||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 邓文迪 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 鄧文迪 | ||||||
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Wendi Deng Murdoch (Chinese: 邓文迪; pinyin: Dèng Wéndí; born Deng Wen'ge; December 5, 1968) is an American businesswoman and socialite. She was married to media leader Rupert Murdoch from 1999 to 2013.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Wendi Deng was born in Jinan, Shandong, China. She grew up in Xuzhou, Jiangsu. Her birth name was Wen'ge Deng. She later changed her name to Wendi. Her parents were both engineers. She has two older sisters and a brother.
School Days and Sports
Wendi attended Xuzhou First Secondary School. She was a talented volleyball player. When she was a teenager, her family moved to Guangzhou. In 1985, she started studying at the Guangzhou Medical College.
Studying in the United States
In 1988, Wendi moved to the United States to study. She enrolled at California State University, Northridge. There, she studied economics and was a top student. She earned a bachelor's degree in Economics. Later, she earned an MBA (Master of Business Administration) from Yale University.
Career and Business Ventures
After finishing her studies at Yale in 1996, Wendi Deng began her career. She met Bruce Churchill, who worked at the Fox TV branch in Los Angeles. He offered her an internship at Star TV in Hong Kong. This led to a full-time job as a junior executive.
Working at Star TV
Even as a junior employee, Wendi helped plan Star TV's work in Hong Kong and China. She also helped grow the Chinese audience for Star's Channel V music channel. Within one year, she became a vice president. She also looked into new ways to use interactive TV.
Digital Investments and Art
Wendi was an advisor for MySpace's operations in China. She also helped the Murdoch family invest in Chinese internet companies. She worked to create business connections for high-speed video and internet access in China.
In 2009, Wendi co-founded Artsy. This is an online platform for buying, viewing, and learning about art. It has become a leading place for art online. Other important investors have supported Artsy.
Film Production
In 2011, Wendi co-produced her first film, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. This movie is about two friends in ancient China. The film won an award at the Chinese American Film Festival.
She also produced the Netflix documentary Sky Ladder. This film shows the art of Cai Guo-Qiang, a famous artist. The documentary was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016.
Investments and Art Collecting
Wendi Deng collects Chinese contemporary art. She has also invested in new technology companies. These include Oscar, Snapchat, Uber, and Warby Parker.
Personal Life
Wendi Deng lived with Jake and Joyce Cherry when she first studied in the United States. Jake Cherry later married Wendi in 1990. During their marriage, Wendi received a green card, which allowed her to live permanently in the U.S. They divorced after about two and a half years.
Marriage to Rupert Murdoch
In 1997, Wendi met Rupert Murdoch, a well-known media leader. They married in 1999 on his yacht. They had two daughters together: Grace, born in 2001, and Chloe, born in 2003. Tony Blair is Grace Murdoch's godfather. Rupert Murdoch filed for divorce from Wendi in June 2013.
Public Incident
On July 19, 2011, Wendi Deng quickly reacted when a comedian threw a pie at her husband, Rupert Murdoch. This happened while he was speaking to a British parliamentary committee. The comedian was later sentenced to six weeks in prison.
Family and Daughters
As of 2016, Wendi Deng was living in New York City with her two daughters. Grace attends Yale University, and Chloe studies at Stanford University. Grace and Chloe are set to inherit shares in their father's businesses. However, they do not have voting rights in the company.
See also
- Chinese Americans in New York City
