<P> While Annenberg ran his publishing empire as a business, he was not afraid to use it for his political purposes . One of his publications, The Philadelphia Inquirer, was influential in ridding Philadelphia of its largely corrupt city government in 1949 . It campaigned for the Marshall Plan following World War II. and attacked McCarthyism in the 1950s . </P> <P> In 1966, Annenberg used The Inquirer to cast doubt on the candidacy of Democrat Milton Shapp for governor of Pennsylvania . Shapp was highly critical of the proposed merger of the Pennsylvania Railroad with the New York Central Railroad and was pushing the US Interstate Commerce Commission to prevent it from occurring . Annenberg, who was the biggest individual stockholder of the Pennsylvania Railroad, wanted to see the merger succeed (which it did) and he was frustrated with Shapp's opposition . During a press conference, an Inquirer reporter asked Shapp if he had ever been a patient in a mental hospital . Never having been in one, Shapp simply said "no ." The next day, a five - column front page Inquirer headline read, "Shapp Denies Mental Institution Stay ." Shapp and others have attributed his loss of the election to Annenberg's newspaper . </P> <P> Even while an active businessman, Annenberg had an interest in public service . In 1953 he became one of the founding trustees of Eisenhower Fellowships . After Richard M. Nixon was elected President, he appointed Annenberg as ambassador to the Court of St James's in the UK . In 1969, under pressure after the Shapp controversy, Annenberg sold The Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, which he bought in 1957, to Knight Newspapers for $55 million . After being appointed as ambassador, he became quite popular in Britain, being made an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1976 . </P> <P> Annenberg led a lavish lifestyle . His Sunnylands winter estate in Rancho Mirage, California (near Palm Springs), hosted gatherings with such people as President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan, Queen Elizabeth II, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Charles, Prince of Wales, and the family of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi . Annenberg introduced President Reagan to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and the Reagans often celebrated New Year's Eve with the Annenbergs . President Ronald Reagan named Leonore Annenberg the State Department's Chief of Protocol in early 1981 . Sunnylands covers 400 acres (1.6 km), guard - gated on a 650 - acre (2.6 km) parcel surrounded by a stucco wall at the northwest corner of Frank Sinatra Drive and Bob Hope Drive; the property includes a golf course . The estate continues to be used for meetings and retreats by prominent people . </P>

Walter who is single owns a personal residence in the city