LOS ANGELES — Rupert Murdoch, the chairman, chief executive and controlling shareholder of News Corp., saw his compensation drop 40% in fiscal 2009 as weak earnings reduced his incentive pay, according to a review of regulatory filings.
Murdoch, 78, was awarded a compensation package valued at $18 million, down from $30 million a year ago, according to the review of News Corp.'s proxy filed Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
His base salary of $8.1 million was unchanged, but his performance-based incentive pay fell 69% to $5.4 million from $17.5 million a year ago.
News Corp. owns the Wall Street Journal, Fox television network, 20th Century Fox movie studio, social networking website MySpace, Sky Italia and newspapers in Britain and Australia.