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{{Short description|British peer and owner of the Daily Mail (b. 1967)}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name = The Viscount Rothermere
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| office1 = Member of the [[House of Lords]]
| status1 = Lord Temporal
| term_start1 = 1 September 1998
| term_end1 = 11 November 1999<br>as a [[hereditary peer]]
| predecessor1 = [[Vere Harmsworth, 3rd Viscount Rothermere|The 3rd Viscount Rothermere]]
| successor1 = ''Seat abolished''{{thin space|{{efn|Pursuant to the [[House of Lords Act 1999]].}}}}
| birth_name = Jonathan Harold Esmond Vere Harmsworth
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|12|3|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = British
| occupation = Publisher
| education = [[Gordonstoun School]]
| alma_mater = [[Duke University]]
| spouse = {{Marriage|Claudia Caroline Clemence|1993}}
| parents = {{unbulleted list|[[Vere Harmsworth, 3rd Viscount Rothermere]]|[[Patricia Harmsworth, Viscountess Rothermere|Patricia Matthews]]}}
| children = 6
}}
'''Jonathan Harold Esmond Vere Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere''' (born 3 December 1967), is a British [[Peerages in the United Kingdom|peer]] and owner of a newspaper and media empire founded by his great-grandfather [[Harold Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere]]. He is the chairman and controlling shareholder of the [[Daily Mail and General Trust]], formerly "Associated Newspapers", a media conglomerate which includes the ''[[Daily Mail]]''.
==Early life and career==
Lord Rothermere was educated at [[Gordonstoun School]] and [[Duke University]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Greenslade |first=Roy |date=2002-07-22 |title=Seconds out, round two |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/jul/22/mondaymediasection.dailyexpress |access-date=2021-02-08 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
Harmsworth held various positions in [[Associated Newspapers]] and was managing director of the ''[[Evening Standard]]'', when the sudden death of [[Vere Harmsworth, 3rd Viscount Rothermere|his father]] in 1998 resulted in his becoming the controlling shareholder<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=42877 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907084414/http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=42877 |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 September 2012 |title=Rothermere: 'DMGT remains committed to journalism' |newspaper=[[Press Gazette]] |date=21 January 2009 }}</ref> and chairman of Associated and of its parent [[Daily Mail and General Trust]] just before his 31st birthday. One change he has instituted since becoming chairman is requiring directors to retire at age 75.
He has [[Taxation in the United Kingdom#Residence and domicile|non-domicile (non-dom) tax status]] and owns his media businesses through a complex structure of offshore holdings and trusts.<ref name="Private Eye 1351">{{cite web |url=http://www.private-eye.co.uk/sections.php?section_link=street_of_shame&issue=1351 |title=Rothermere's patriot games |department=Street of Shame |magazine=Private Eye |date=18 October 2013 |issue=1351 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021212813/http://www.private-eye.co.uk/sections.php?section_link=street_of_shame&issue=1351 |archive-date=21 October 2013}}</ref>
According to the ''International Business Times'':
{{quote|The Daily Mail owner did not deny claiming tax concessions as "non-dom", though he insisted this was because his father had lived in France. Lord Rothermere acquired France as his "domicile of birth" upon his birth as his father acquired a French "domicile of choice" by becoming a tax exile in Paris.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/how-much-daily-mail-owner-lord-rothermere-worth-1628099 |title=How much is Daily Mail owner Lord Rothermere worth? |date=10 July 2017 |website=International Business Times UK}}</ref>}}
In 2013, ''[[Private Eye]]'' reported that the non-dom status could be in doubt because of his stately home, [[Ferne House]] in [[Wiltshire]], and status as a Freeman of the City of London.<ref name="Private Eye 1351"/>
He was a supporter of the then [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] leader [[David Cameron]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Vervier |first=Catherine |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-end-of-the-affair-dacre-moves-towards-cameron-872278.html |title=The end of the affair: Dacre moves towards Cameron |date=20 July 2008 |access-date=6 October 2013 |archive-date=6 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006140621/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-end-of-the-affair-dacre-moves-towards-cameron-872278.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
He ranked fourth in the Publishing, Advertising, and PR section of the ''[[Sunday Times Rich List]]'' of 2013 with an estimated wealth of [[Pound sterling|£]]720 million.<ref>{{cite news |date=19 April 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/apr/19/barclay-brothers-media-rich-list |access-date=7 October 2013 |title=Barclay brothers named richest media figures in UK with £2.3bn fortune |work=[[The Guardian]] |first=Mark |last=Sweney |archive-date=5 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105170948/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/apr/19/barclay-brothers-media-rich-list |url-status=live }}</ref> In April 2015, ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' estimated his net worth at £1 billion.<ref name=STRL>{{cite news |title=Sunday Times Rich List |work=The Sunday Times |issue=34 |date=26 April 2014}}</ref>
The BBC's ''[[Newsnight]]'' programme at the end of January 2017 reported that David Cameron, when Prime Minister, had approached Lord Rothermere to sack Eurosceptic [[Paul Dacre]], the editor of the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' in the run up to the [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|2016 EU membership referendum]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Ponsford |first=Dominic |url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/bbc-david-cameron-tried-to-get-paul-dacre-sacked-as-daily-mail-editor-because-of-his-eurosceptic-stance/ |title=BBC: David Cameron tried to get Paul Dacre sacked as Daily Mail editor because of his Eurosceptic stance |work=Press Gazette |date=1 February 2017 |access-date=1 February 2017}}</ref> A representative of Lord Rothermere refused to confirm or deny the story, although a spokesman for Cameron confirmed that he had tried to persuade both Dacre and Rothermere over the vote. Rothermere's representative told the media: "Over the years, Lord Rothermere has been leant on by more than one prime minister to remove Associated Newspapers' editors but, as he told Lord Justice Leveson on oath, he does not interfere with the editorial policies of his papers".<ref>{{cite news |last=Walker |first=Peter |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/feb/01/david-cameron-asked-daily-mail-owner-to-sack-paul-dacre-brexit-bbc-newsnight |title=David Cameron 'asked Daily Mail owner to sack Paul Dacre over Brexit' |work=The Guardian |date=1 February 2017 |access-date=1 February 2017}}</ref>
Lord Rothermere chairs the [[Imperial War Museum]] foundation, following the tradition set by his great grandfather, the [[Harold Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere|first Viscount]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Plaque - Harmsworth - IWM |url=https://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/harmsworth-iwm |website=London Remembers}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Rothermere married Claudia DeVriese, daughter of Terence J. Clemence, on 15 July 1993.<ref>General Register Office of England and Wales, Marriages, September quarter 1993, Westminster, Vol. 15, p. 1798.</ref> They have five children:{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}
*Vere Richard Jonathan Harold (born November 1994)<ref>General Register Office of England and Wales, Births, Register number E60C, Entry number 038, Westminster.</ref>
*Eleanor Patricia Margaret (born November 1996)<ref>General Register Office of England and Wales, Births, Register number A65C, Entry number 255, Westminster.</ref>
*Theodora Mairi Ferne (born July 2001)<ref>General Register Office of England and Wales, Births, Register number C95C, Entry number 140, Westminster.</ref>
*Iris Geraldine Lilian (born 2004)
*Alfred Northcliffe St. John (born 2010)
In 2002, ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported that Rothermere had fathered at least one more child prior to his marriage.<ref>{{cite news |author=Roy Greenslade |title=Seconds out, round two |url-status=live |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/jul/22/mondaymediasection.dailyexpress |work=The Guardian|date=22 July 2002 |access-date=6 October 2013 |archive-date=3 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003123234/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/jul/22/mondaymediasection.dailyexpress }}</ref> Rothermere confirmed this in his testimony to the [[Leveson Inquiry]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Transcript-of-Morning-Hearing-10-May-2012.txt |title=Statement by Lord Justice Leveson |access-date=9 May 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140122145147/http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Transcript-of-Morning-Hearing-10-May-2012.txt |archive-date=22 January 2014 |quote=He seemed to think the fact that I have an illegitimate son is of some concern. In fact, my son -- I'm very proud of my son, he's a member of my family, we go on holiday together and my children are very proud to call him their brother, so I don't make a secret of it and frankly the idea that I'm offended by it is slightly offensive. }}</ref>
==Arms==
{{Emblem table
|image = [[File:Coronet of a British Viscount.svg|centre|150px]] [[File:Rothermere Escutcheon.png|centre|200px]]
|crest = Between two Ostrich Feathers Or a Cubit Arm erect proper the hand grasping a Roll of Paper Or
|coronet = A [[Coronet|Coronet of a Viscount]]
|escutcheon = Azure two Scrolls of Paper in saltire Or banded in the centre Gules between four Bees volant of the second
|supporters = On either side a Gladiator fully habited and accoutred the dexter holding in the exterior hand a Sword and the sinister holding on the exterior arm a Shield all proper each charged on the breast with a Fountain
|motto = Bene Qui Sedulo (He who acts diligently acts well)
}}
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*{{Hansard-contribs | mr-jonathan-harmsworth | the Viscount Harmsworth }}
{{s-start}}
{{s-reg|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Vere Harmsworth, 3rd Viscount Rothermere|Vere Harmsworth]]|rows=2}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Viscount Rothermere]]|years=1998–present|lords=1998–1999}}
{{s-inc|heir=Hon. Vere Harmsworth|heir-type=Heir apparent|rows=2}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Viscount Rothermere|Baron Rothermere]]|years=1998–present}}
{{s-reg|uk-bt}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Vere Harmsworth, 3rd Viscount Rothermere|Vere Harmsworth]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Harmsworth baronets|Baronet]]|creation=of [[Horsey, Norfolk|Horsey]]|years=1998–present}}
{{s-inc|heir=Hon. Vere Harmsworth|heir-type=Heir apparent}}
{{s-end}}
{{Current British viscounts}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Journalism|United Kingdom}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rothermere, Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount}}
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:British billionaires]]
[[Category:21st-century British newspaper publishers (people)]]
[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers]]
[[Category:Daily Mail and General Trust people]]
[[Category:Harmsworth family|Jonathan]]
[[Category:Kent School alumni]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People educated at Gordonstoun]]
[[Category:People with non-domiciled status in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Viscounts Rothermere|4]]
[[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Hereditary peers removed under the House of Lords Act 1999|Rothermere]]
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