Why Murdoch’s succession case could be major blow to his rightwing legacy
Guardian7 days
Report: Rupert Murdoch Fails in Bid to Change Family Trust
Above: Rupert Murdoch, then-chairman of News Corp and co-chairman of 21st Century Fox, arrives at the Sun Valley Resort of the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, July 10, 2018 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Image copyright: Drew Angerer/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
The New York Times has reported that a Nevada court commissioner rejected Fox News and News Corp. owner Rupert Murdoch's attempt to amend his family trust, which would have given his eldest son Lachlan control of his media empire after his death.
Fox News is owned by Fox Corp., while News Corp. owns outlets including Sky News Australia, The Sun, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post. In late 2023, Murdoch announced that he was transitioning to the role of chairman emeritus, with Lachlan becoming chairman of both companies.
The Spin
Left narrative
This ruling was a necessary defense of the integrity of the family trust and a blow to Rupert Murdoch's legacy. Trusts are designed to ensure stability and fairness, not to be manipulated for personal or political agendas. Murdoch's attempt to rewrite the rules to favor Lachlan simply because his other children hold different political views was an abuse of this structure. Upholding these terms ensures equitable governance, just as Murdoch intended when he established the trust years ago.
Right narrative
This ruling has dangerous consequences for the news industry. Except for Lachlan, it is well known that Murdoch's woke children openly scheme to alter the ideological direction of their father's companies. This is in spite of the fact that conservatism is both a necessary feature of a balanced media diet, as well as the very foundation of the empire his family has so happily benefited from for decades. Undermining a man's end-of-life wishes is the ultimate betrayal.
