What's happened
A Nevada court ruled against Rupert Murdoch's attempt to amend his family trust, denying his plan to consolidate control for his son Lachlan. The ruling, citing 'bad faith,' could reshape the future of the Murdoch media empire and its leadership dynamics among his children.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Independent, Nevada Probate Commissioner Edmund J. Gorman Jr. stated that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch acted in 'bad faith' in their attempt to amend the family trust, describing it as a 'carefully crafted charade' aimed at cementing Lachlan's control. The ruling has been welcomed by Rupert's other children, who hope to move beyond litigation and rebuild family relationships. Adam Streisand, a lawyer for Rupert, expressed disappointment and indicated plans to appeal. This ruling could significantly impact the future leadership of the Murdoch media empire, as noted by AP News, which emphasized the potential for sibling rivalry to intensify following the decision.
How we got here
Rupert Murdoch's family trust was designed to equally distribute control among his four eldest children after his death. Recent tensions have arisen as Lachlan Murdoch seeks to solidify his leadership amid differing political views among his siblings.
More on these topics
-
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KCSG is an Australian-born American media mogul who founded News Corp. He is the son of Keith Murdoch, one time senior executive of Australia's Herald & Weekly Times publishing company.
-
Nevada is a state in the Western United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east.
-
Lachlan Keith Murdoch is an Australian–British and American businessman and mass media heir. He is the executive chairman of Nova Entertainment, co-chairman of News Corp, executive chairman and CEO of the Fox Corporation, the founder of Australian inves
-
The Fox News Channel, commonly known as Fox News, is an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owned by the Fox Corporation.
-
James Rupert Jacob Murdoch is a British-American businessman, the younger son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and was the chief executive officer of 21st Century Fox from 2015 to 2019.
-
Elisabeth Murdoch CBE is an Australian-born British and American media executive based in the United Kingdom. She was a non-executive chairperson of Shine Group, the UK-based TV programme production company she founded in 2001, until the company's parent
-
The current incarnation of News Corporation, stylized as News Corp, is an American mass media and publishing company focusing on newspapers and publishing, formed in 2013 as a spin-off of the original News Corporation.
-
Prudence "Prue" Murdoch MacLeod is an Australian-British non-executive director in the media industry. Murdoch is the eldest child and daughter of Australian billionaire media proprietor Rupert Murdoch.