“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,” are the famous opening words by Leo Tolstoy in “Anna Karenina.” It seems a fitting perspective on Rupert Murdoch’s public family discord. Recently, news surfaced that the media magnate faced a setback in his legal efforts to ensure his media empire would be passed down to Lachlan, his eldest son and designated successor, over his other children—James, Elisabeth, and Prudence. This is more than a mere struggle for power; it’s Murdoch’s final attempt to solidify his right-wing media legacy, potentially at the cost of family harmony.
In this complex family saga, themes of blurred lines between business and personal relationships, ideological battles, and a weakening patriarchal hold illustrate Tolstoy’s notion of “unique unhappiness.” The Murdochs’ conflicts are set against a backdrop of enormous wealth, influence, and public attention. These divisions could hinder corporate decision-making, putting a media empire at risk and possibly impacting the cultural and political landscape of English-speaking nations.
The effort to revise the terms of the Murdochs’ irrevocable family trust is largely an intimate family matter. Rupert Murdoch’s six children all hold equal stakes in the family trust, though his youngest daughters, Chloe and Grace, do not possess voting rights. Presently, Mr. Murdoch maintains ultimate control, sharing voting power with his four eldest children. Post his passing, it was anticipated they’d each hold a vote and figure out their roles among themselves.
This trust governs the Murdoch empire, split between Fox—home to the TV network known for its right-wing bias and controversial reporting—and News Corp, which owns prestigious publications like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, as well as the Times and the Sun in the UK, and over half of Australia’s major dailies.
At the heart of this dispute is Fox News—a $20 billion media powerhouse crucial to U.S. conservative politics and Donald Trump’s ascent. Both Mr. Murdoch and Lachlan have steered Fox further to the right, alienating Lachlan’s siblings and resulting in a hefty $790 million defamation settlement over election misinformation. James, remaining at odds with such direction, has been notably critical of Fox, especially after being sidelined in favor of Lachlan.
In April 2023, the Murdoch children started preparing for their father’s eventual passing, stirred by an episode from HBO’s “Succession”—a show bearing a striking resemblance to their own family’s drama—where a patriarch’s death leads to turmoil. Concerned by the parallels, Elisabeth’s team crafted a “Succession memo” to prevent fiction from becoming reality. However, Lachlan and his father sought to counter these plans by attempting to amend the trust to entrench Lachlan’s leadership. Ironically termed “Project Family Harmony,” this move cast James as the “troublesome beneficiary.” A Reno probate commissioner eventually ruled that Mr. Murdoch acted in “bad faith.”
While Mr. Murdoch plans to appeal, the emotional toll is explicit: further distance from three of his children. Only Lachlan was present at his recent summer wedding to his fifth wife. Should Mr. Murdoch fail to revise the trust, it could escalate the stakes after his death. Lachlan might endeavor to buy out his siblings, while James and Elisabeth could aim to overhaul or even dismantle Fox News. Selling off assets could alleviate tensions but might dismantle the very legacy Mr. Murdoch spent his life building—one where personal pursuits and corporate governance are closely intertwined.
Note: This leading article was not published on days when NUJ members in the UK were on strike.
