# Matthew Freud

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British businessman (born 1963)

Matthew Freud Freud in 2017 Born Matthew Rupert Freud (1963-11-02) 2 November 1963 (age 62) London, England Education Westminster School Occupation Public relations executive Spouses Caroline Hutton ​ ​ (m. 1991; div. 2000)​ Elisabeth Murdoch ​ ​ (m. 2001; div. 2014)​ Children 5 Parents Sir Clement Freud June Flewett

**Matthew Rupert Freud** (born 2 November 1963) is a British entrepreneur and [public relations](/source/Public_relations) executive[1] and head of [Freud Communications](/source/Freud_Communications), an international public relations firm in the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom).

## Early life

Freud was born in London, the youngest of five children born to actress [June Flewett](/source/June_Flewett) and the writer and German-born British politician [Sir Clement Freud](/source/Sir_Clement_Freud).[2] Matthew Freud's sister is television interviewer [Emma Freud](/source/Emma_Freud). His great-grandfather was [Sigmund Freud](/source/Sigmund_Freud). He is the nephew of the artist [Lucian Freud](/source/Lucian_Freud) and (by former marriage) of the writer Lady [Caroline Blackwood](/source/Caroline_Blackwood), and his cousins include fashion designer [Bella Freud](/source/Bella_Freud), and novelists [Susie Boyt](/source/Susie_Boyt), and [Esther Freud](/source/Esther_Freud).[3]

## Career

Matthew Freud founded [Freud Communications](/source/Freud_Communications) in 1985.[4] [Adam Curtis](/source/Adam_Curtis) in his documentary *[Century of the Self](/source/Century_of_the_Self)* describes Matthew Freud as a star in the "new culture of public relations and marketing in politics, business and journalism" that rose in the Clinton-Blair years.[5] [In 2009 PRWeek](/source/PRWeek) called Freud "the most influential PR professional in the UK".[6]

Freud, his sister Emma and brother-in-law [Richard Curtis](/source/Richard_Curtis), sit on the board of [Trustees](/source/Trustee) for [Comic Relief](/source/Comic_Relief_(charity)).[7]

In May 2005, in partnership with [Piers Morgan](/source/Piers_Morgan), he acquired ownership of the *[Press Gazette](/source/Press_Gazette)* and the [British Press Awards](/source/British_Press_Awards) in a deal worth £1million.[8][9] Several major newspapers boycotted the event citing an apparent conflict of interest as one of the reasons.[10][11]

According to the *[Sunday Times Rich List](/source/Sunday_Times_Rich_List)* in 2020, Freud is worth an estimated £170 million, a decrease of £10m from the previous year.[12]

## Personal life

Freud's first wife was [Caroline Hutton](/source/Caroline_Hutton) with whom he had two sons: George Rupert Freud and Jonah Henry Freud. Caroline then married the [9th Earl Spencer](/source/Charles_Spencer%2C_9th_Earl_Spencer), brother of [Diana, Princess of Wales](/source/Diana%2C_Princess_of_Wales), from whom she was divorced in 2007.

His second wife was [Elisabeth Murdoch](/source/Elisabeth_Murdoch_(businesswoman)), second daughter of [media magnate](/source/Media_proprietor) [Rupert Murdoch](/source/Rupert_Murdoch), head of [News Corporation](/source/News_Corporation_(1980%E2%80%932013)). When the couple met in 1997,[13] she was pregnant with a second child by her first husband and business partner, Elkin Pianim (the son of Ghanaian financial and political [mogul](/source/Magnate) [Kwame Pianim](/source/Kwame_Pianim)). The couple married 18 August 2001 at [Blenheim Palace](/source/Blenheim_Palace);[14] they have two children, a daughter born in 2000 and a son born in 2007.[15] They divorced in 2014.[16] During the divorce, it emerged that Freud had fathered a child with a mutual friend two years previously, born in 2012.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

In November 2012, Freud was banned from driving for six months and fined £830 after police caught him driving at 117 miles per hour (188 km/h) in a borrowed Ferrari on the [M5 motorway](/source/M5_motorway). His son was asleep in the front of the car at the time of the offence. Exeter Magistrates' Court was told that he had already incurred nine [penalty points](/source/Point_system_(driving)#England_and_Wales) on his driving licence in the previous three years–two fixed penalties for speeding and one for using a mobile phone while driving.[17]

He is a friend of several members of the Conservative party, including [George Osborne](/source/George_Osborne) and [David Cameron](/source/David_Cameron). Freud has also invited Cameron to many events and is part of the so-called '[Notting Hill Set](/source/Notting_Hill_Set)' of influential Conservative-linked figures. During their marriage, Murdoch and Freud owned [Burford Priory](/source/Burford_Priory) in Oxfordshire, and hence were also considered members of the [Chipping Norton set](/source/Chipping_Norton_set).[18]

## See also

- [Freud family](/source/Freud_family)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Thomas, Daniel (2 October 2024). ["Matthew Freud records £40mn dividend as PR boss moves into hotels and start-ups"](https://www.ft.com/content/3eccf073-4ca5-41c7-92b9-741c91c161b7). *Financial Times*. Retrieved 25 November 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Matthew Freud Will See You Now"](https://www.envoy.cirrus.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-09-01/matthew-freud-will-see-you-now). Bloomberg. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Freud family tree index | Media | MediaGuardian.co.uk"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/pictures/0,,457666,00.html). *www.theguardian.com*. Retrieved 29 December 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Freud Communications"](http://www.freud.com/). Freud.com. Retrieved 25 December 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["BBC Four – Storyville"](https://web.archive.org/web/20040423122050/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/century_of_the_self_episode_4.shtml). BBC. 10 December 2011. Archived from [the original](https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/century_of_the_self_episode_4.shtml) on 23 April 2004. Retrieved 25 December 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Rogers, Danny. ["Power Book top ten PR gurus revealed"](http://www.prweek.com/article/893996/power-book-top-ten-pr-gurus-revealed). *www.prweek.com*. Retrieved 29 December 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Comic Relief – Trustees.](http://www.comicrelief.com/who_we_are/trustees) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100223023220/http://www.comicrelief.com/who_we_are/trustees) 23 February 2010 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Piers Morgan clinches Press Gazette deal"](http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story1408.shtml), Journalism.co.uk, 13 June 2005.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Julia Day, ["Piers Morgan turns proprietor with purchase of Press Gazette"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/may/28/pressandpublishing.uknews), *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*, 28 May 2005.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [2006 British Press Awards](/source/British_Press_Awards_2006#Controversy_leading_up_to_the_2006_awards).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [*The Daily Telegraph*](https://web.archive.org/web/20070313100344/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2006/01/24/ccslade24.xml&menuId=242&sSheet=/money/2006/01/24/ixcoms.html), 24 January 2006 – Money.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Times, The Sunday. ["Rich List 2020: profiles 703–799=, featuring Eric Clapton and Rory McIlroy"](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/rich-list-2020-profiles-703-799-featuring-eric-clapton-and-rory-mcilroy-rj8cv08vw). *[The Times](/source/The_Times)*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0140-0460](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0140-0460). Retrieved 4 August 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Gosden, Emily (5 October 2014). ["Elisabeth Murdoch and Matthew Freud to divorce"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11142399/Elisabeth-Murdoch-and-Matthew-Freud-to-divorce.html?ref=hihidnews). *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*. Retrieved 30 July 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Teather, David (18 August 2001). ["A private affair as golden couple keep wedding out of limelight"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/aug/18/uknews1). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. London. Retrieved 15 April 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Sweney, Mark (6 October 2014). ["Matthew Freud and Elisabeth Murdoch to divorce"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/oct/06/matthew-freud-elisabeth-murdoch-divorce). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. Retrieved 24 September 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Gosden, Emily (5 October 2014). ["Elisabeth Murdoch and Matthew Freud to divorce"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11142399/Elisabeth-Murdoch-and-Matthew-Freud-to-divorce.html). *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*. Retrieved 15 October 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-BBC_News_15_November_2012_17-0)** ["Matthew Freud banned for driving at 117mph with son"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-20347023). BBC. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-TelegJul11_18-0)** Caroline Dewar (5 March 2012). ["Who's who in the Chipping Norton set"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/interactive-graphics/9124278/Whos-who-in-the-Chipping-Norton-set.html). *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*. Retrieved 6 May 2012.

## External links

- [Official website](http://www.freud.com)

- [Matthew Freud](https://www.theguardian.com/media/matthew-freud) collected news and commentary at *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*

- [Matthew Freud](https://web.archive.org/web/20110826054210/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/related-4937-matthew-freud.do) collected news and commentary at *[The London Evening Standard](/source/The_London_Evening_Standard)*.

- [Follow-Up: Roger Ailes on Matthew Freud](https://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/follow-up-roger-ailes-on-matthew-freud/), *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*, 13 January 2010.

- [Matthew Freud Is The Most Powerful PR Operator In The UK](http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/1070562/Matthew-Freud-powerful-PR-operator-UK/), Danny Rogers, *[PRWeek](/source/PRWeek)*, 18 May 2011.

- [Matthew Freud](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2516361/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Matthew Freud](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Freud) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Freud?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.