Harold Jonathan Esmond Vere Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere is a British viscount and inheritor of a newspaper and media empire founded by his great-grandfather Harold Sidney Harmsworth.
Background
Harmsworth held various positions in Associated Newspapers and was managing director of the Evening Standard, when the sudden death of his father in 1998 resulted in his becoming the controlling shareholder and chairman of Associated and of its parent Daily Mail and General Trust just before his 31st birthday.
Education
Rothermere was educated at Gordonstoun School and Duke University.
Career
One notable change he has instituted since becoming chairman is requiring directors to retire at age 75. He ranked fourth in the Publishing, Advertising, and Puerto Rico section of the Sunday Times Rich List 2013 with an estimated wealth of £720 million. In April 2015, the Sunday Times estimated his Netto worth at £1.0 billion He has non-domicile tax status and owns his media businesses through a complex structure of offshore holdings and trusts which entail him paying almost no United Kingdom tax on his income, investments or wealth.
He is a supporter of the Conservative Party leader David Cameron.
He gave evidence to the Leveson Inquiry into the Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press on 10 May 2012.