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Rupert Murdoch is giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics at which he has revealed details of his meetings with senior politicians.
He denied asking or being offered any favours when he met then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at a lunch in 1981 ahead of his bid for Times newspapers.
The News Corp boss, 81, also denied trying to influence her by demonstrating his political allegience.
Evidence from his son James has led to calls for a cabinet minister to resign.
Asked about the lunch at Mrs Thatcher's country home Chequers on 4 January 1981, requested by Mr Murdoch, he said: "I have never asked a prime minister for anything."
"This was the movement of a great institution, under threat of closure, and I thought it was perfectly right she should know what was at stake," he said.
Asked by counsel Robert Jay QC whether he wanted to show Mrs Thatcher he had the will to take on the unions over his bid for the newspaper group, he said: "I didn't have the will to crush the unions, I might have had the desire, but that took several years."
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has rejected the Labour Party's calls over claims that he privately supported attempts by News Corporation to take full control of UK satellite broadcaster BSkyB.
The inquiry at the Royal Courts of Justice in London heard claims that Mr Hunt leaked inside information to the media giant.
Mr Hunt has insisted he handled the process with "scrupulous fairness".
Rupert Murdoch's testimony at the inquiry led by Lord Justice Leveson is under oath and will last two days.
BBC business editor Robert Peston said he would be asked whether he sought and bought commercial advantage by offering the support of his papers, especially the Sun, to the Tories and Labour.
Our correspondent also said Mr Murdoch's relationship with Les Hinton, the former News Corp executive in charge of the newspapers in many of the latter years, was bound to be put under the spotlight.
He said Mr Murdoch would be asked the big question of whether there was a "giant cover-up or a catastrophic governance failure at his organisation".
It is the billionaire's highest profile public appearance since he gave evidence to MPs last July.
He told the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee that he met UK Prime Minister David Cameron "within days" of the 2010 general election.
He said he was invited to Downing Street by former prime minister Gordon Brown "many times". Tony Blair is godfather to one of his children.
The tycoon apologised for the phone-hacking scandal and told MPs it was the "most humble day" of his life. He was pelted with a foam pie at the hearing by a protester.
News Corp still owns the Sun, the Times and the Sunday Times, and has a 39% stake in BSkyB.
The Leveson Inquiry was set up after it was revealed Mr Murdoch's now defunct tabloid newspaper the News of the World hacked into the voicemail of murdered British schoolgirl Milly Dowler.
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