# Aussies: Kerry Packer Dead at 68 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 26, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aussies-kerry-packer-dead-at-68/337292 "2005-12-26T23:10:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aussies-kerry-packer-dead-at-68/337292/1 "2005-12-26T23:10:25Z")
[http://smh.com.au/news/national/kerry-packer-dead-report/2005/12/27/1135445550099.html](http://smh.com.au/news/national/kerry-packer-dead-report/2005/12/27/1135445550099.html) Not much information at hand yet. ---
**Author:** ![Idlewild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aussies-kerry-packer-dead-at-68/337292/2 "2005-12-26T23:20:52Z")
That took me by surprise. I kind of figured him for the sort that outlasts his heirs. What’ll happen to the media empire? James takes over? ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aussies-kerry-packer-dead-at-68/337292/3 "2005-12-26T23:21:34Z")
[http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/12/27/1135445550099.html](http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/12/27/1135445550099.html) > [@](#): > > Australia’s richest man, the media magnate Kerry Packer, has died. > > His death overnight was announced at the end of the Today show on his Nine Network just before 9am (AEDT). > > _{snip}_ > > He once netted over $700 million by selling Channel Nine to Alan Bond, then buying it back from him three years later. > > He turned the cricket world upside down with his World Series revolution in 1977, which ended with him getting what he wanted in the first place - the rights to televise top matches. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aussies-kerry-packer-dead-at-68/337292/4 "2005-12-27T00:26:55Z")
It will certainly be interesting to see what happens to his media and publishing empire now that, presumably, his rather inept son James will take control. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aussies-kerry-packer-dead-at-68/337292/5 "2005-12-27T02:29:10Z")
> [@Idlewild](#): > > That took me by surprise. I kind of figured him for the sort that outlasts his heirs. Really? Despite the heart attacks, kidney transplant, cancerous tumor and other ongoing health problems? I can’t say that I ever thought he’d outlive the family dog let alone his heirs. I’m just kicking myself for not thinking of him when I made my Death Pool list. ---
**Author:** ![Idlewild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aussies-kerry-packer-dead-at-68/337292/6 "2005-12-27T03:08:40Z")
> [@cazzle](#): > > Really? Despite the heart attacks, kidney transplant, cancerous tumor and other ongoing health problems? I can’t say that I ever thought he’d outlive the family dog let alone his heirs. I’m just kicking myself for not thinking of him when I made my Death Pool list. Yeah. I dunno. I just kind of had him over in the mental “too ornery to die” category. Irrational, definitely. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2005, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aussies-kerry-packer-dead-at-68/337292/7 "2005-12-27T04:37:44Z")
CNN is now reporting the news —\> [http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/12/26/obit.packer/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/12/26/obit.packer/index.html)