Did you watch HBO’s riveting series “Succession?” It was an exceptional drama about wealth, power, and family struggles, and it was somewhat based on the Murdoch family, whose billionaire patriarch Rupert founded one of the most influential media companies in the world. Through entities such as News Corp and the Fox Corporation, the family controls The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, Fox News, and multiple international outlets—almost all of them with a conservative bent.
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But just like in “Succession,” a high-stakes battle over who will control the conglomerate after the boss dies has broken out behind the scenes, and a court drama commences in Nevada Tuesday that will decide if the power will be shared by his children, or if—as the 93-year-old Rupert now desires—eldest son Lachlan will take the reins.
Things could get ugly:
Mr Murdoch’s attempt to overhaul the family trust, dubbed “Project Harmony”, will have significant implications for the future of the media empire, which includes the Sun and Times newspapers as well as Fox News in the US.
Lachlan has taken pole position to take over the reins in recent years after adopting the roles of chief executive and chairman of TV group Fox Corporation in 2019 and chairman of News Corp last year.
The 52-year-old is viewed as the most conservative of Mr Murdoch’s children and as such is most closely aligned with his father’s views.
Son James, however, would likely steer coverage in an entirely different direction if he’s able to wrest a measure of control.
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The move to change the terms of the trust is seen by many as Rupert’s way of ensuring the conservative tone of his outlets is not softened by his heirs.
James and Elisabeth, who were both previously regarded as potential candidates to take over the family business, are more liberal than their father and have both publicly criticised the nonagenarian’s newspapers and TV channels.
Lawyers for Mr Murdoch argue that handing sole control to Lachlan will be good for all the siblings, as it reduces the risk of divided control that could undermine the business and damage their inheritance.
But the move has been widely regarded as an effort by the tycoon to ensure there is no softening of the Right-wing politics that has come to define his media empire.
The Murdochs have seen their fair share of controversies:
Rupert Murdoch, Who Reshaped Modern Media, to Step Down as Fox and News Corp Chair in November
Donald Trump vs. Rupert Murdoch Feud Heats up, and It’s Getting Nasty
Lachlan, although he has clearly risen to the top, is seen as a somewhat mysterious figure:
Despite running one of the most powerful media companies in the world, Lachlan Murdoch remains something of an enigma and seems to like it that way. He rarely gives interviews or makes significant public pronouncements and he guards his privacy fiercely…
Since Lachlan was a child, there’s been an expectation that one of Rupert and Anna’s children would take over the family business, just as Rupert had done following the death of his father Keith in 1952. But the question of which one has been a source of fascination, speculation and rumour for decades.
Over the past 30 years, Lachlan, Elisabeth and James have all jockeyed for the top job. Even though Lachlan is most closely aligned politically with his father, and was once described by Rupert as “first among equals”, at various times each one of them has seemed the likely successor.
“It’s every father’s natural desire to see his children follow him,” Rupert told an interviewer in 1995. “But they’ve got to prove themselves first. We’ll have to see how they work it out — I hope not fight it out.”
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There is a possibility the trial will be televised—a legal activist has filed documents arguing that there’s a “constitutional right of access” for the public to view the proceedings—and if that effort succeeds, prepare to stock up on popcorn. Things could get real interesting.
Many conservatives have serious issues with Rupert Murdoch and Fox News, and some believe they abandoned the cause with moves like firing Tucker Carlson and calling Arizona extremely early in the 2020 presidential election. Some of these complaints are valid. That being said, I think if Elisabeth and James are given the same editorial control as Lachlan, it would be a serious blow to Fox and therefore to conservatives in general. Fox et al. may not be perfect, but they are lightyears better than the fraudulent outlets like MSNBC, the NY Times, and CNN. We need all hands on deck to fight the progressive/socialist scourge—RedState, Fox News, the NY Post, whoever is willing to fight.
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I’m rooting for Lachlan.
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