Rupert Murdoch At Leveson Inquiry: 8 Things We Learnt From The News Corp Boss

With four hours of evidence from Rupert Murdoch at the Leveson inquiry and a 52-page witness statement to delve through, even phone hacking nerds might need a handy cut-and-keep guide as to just what we learnt from the media mogul on Wednesday. So we thought we'd give you one.

The scandal could still extend to America. In his witness statement Murdoch says NI had given evidence to the US justice department

"Since July 2011, the MSC, working with a legal team, has actively cooperated with the Metropolitan Police as well as with the United States Department of Justice, turning over evidence of alleged or suspected illegality, and responding to all requests for information. This has led to the arrests of a number of NI employees. Our cooperation is continuing to date," he writes.

News Corp has spent millions on the fallout from phone hacking

"NGN [News Group Newspapers] has paid approximately £14.5 million in damages, costs agreed with claimants and its own legal costs," Murdoch says in his statement. And there are still 20 more outstanding cases.

Murdoch is "appalled" by email hacking at The Times

"I understand that, when the matter was heard by Mr Justice Eady on 4 June 2009, The Times failed to explain how the identity had originally been established and as a result the court was misled. I also understand that the Editor, James Harding, has apologised to the blogger, to the court and to the Inquiry. I was unaware of this matter until it arose in evidence before the Inquiry. I am appalled that the lawyer misled the court and disappointed that the Editor published the story."

Murdoch liked Gordon Brown - until he declared war on News Corp and accused them of hacking his son's medical records.

Giving evidence to the inquiry into media ethics, the 81-year-old told the court he did not think Brown was in a "balanced state of mind" when he made the comments.

He also likes Alex Salmond and was impressed by David Cameron

On Cameron, he says: "I believe that I first met David Cameron at a family picnic at my daughter’s country home. No politics were discussed, as we were overrun with children. In fact, I was particularly struck by the way that Mr Cameron looked after his son. I remember thinking that he was a good family man."

Brown had complained about The Sun's coverage of Afghanistan

"It appears that the topics I discussed with Mr Brown during his time in office included spending, budgets, healthcare, the strength of the pound, the efforts of Mr Blair and Mr Brown to chart a new course, the creation of an entrepreneurial society, the future of the Conservative party, (Afghan president) Mr Karzai and Mr Brown's unhappiness with The Sun's reporting on Iraq and Afghanistan."

Murdoch likes a filthy metaphor

He once said to Blair: "If our flirtation is ever consummated Tony, I suspect we will end up making love like porcupines, very very carefully."

Murdoch loves The Sun

"If you want to judge my thinking, look at The Sun," he told the inquiry.

Murdoch at Leveson: The 10 best quotes

1. On the BBC: "Prime ministers all hated the BBC and all gave it everything it wanted."
2. On The Sun's support for the Conservatives: "I could have been like the Telegraph. I could even have texted them every day".
3. On being questioned: "Let's get him to get this f**king thing over with today".
4. To Tony Blair: "If our flirtation is ever consummated Tony, I suspect we will end up making love like porcupines, very very carefully."
5. On politics: "I don't know many politicians."
6. On The Sun: "We are perhaps the only independent newspaper in the business."
7. On Business: "I take a particularly strong pride in the fact we've never pushed our commercial interests in our newspapers"
8. On Gordon Brown: "I did not think he was in a very balanced state of mind."
9. On unions: "I didn't have the will to crush the unions. I might have had the desire, but that took several years"
10. On favours: "I've never asked a Prime Minister for anything"

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UP CLOSE: What do Murdoch's notes say?

QUIZ: Who said it, Murdoch or Mr Burns

See below for the best tweets from Murdoch's appearance