Rupert Murdoch - ruthless visionary, empire builder and business genius. He has created a global media network which has made him one of the most powerful and influential figures in the world. So potent was the force of his empire that he was even on first-name terms with presidents and prime ministers - superpowers were only a telephone call away. But just recently, rather than controlling the news, Murdoch has instead become the front-page story as the world had been gripped by the unfolding drama of the News International phone hacking scandal.