Murdoch jr splashes on $21m home

Sydney - The eldest son of media baron Rupert Murdoch beat "Gladiator" star Russell Crowe at a AUS$50 000-a-head auction to land a record-breaking Australian home, the real estate agent said on Monday.

Lachlan Murdoch saw off Crowe and eight other high-rollers with his AUS$23m ($21.3m) bid, sealing the six-bedroom mansion in Sydney's exclusive Bellevue Hill district.

"It's the most expensive home ever sold at auction in Australian history," estate agent Michael Pallier told AFP.

Murdoch won last week's invite-only auction while Crowe, currently working on Ridley Scott's "Robin Hood", watched and bidded by a video and phone link from a movie set in the United States.

"It's has never been done before like this," he said. "Each person was asked to put down $46 000 just for the auction ... (Crowe) was on a movie set in America, he was watching it from there."

Murdoch, 38, who is expecting his third child with Australian model Sarah, is expected to renovate the "elegant but not elaborate" home, which was recently vacated by France's trade commissioner.

The French government has owned the property, with harbour views and a pool, tennis court and large lawns on 4 000 square metres of land, since 1955, Pallier said.

Each bidder was vetted by the French government before being allowed to take part, he added.

- AFP