An episode of HBO’s Succession prompted Rupert Murdoch and his children to reassess the future of his media empire, leading to a bitter legal battle over control. The acclaimed drama, which portrays chaos after a right-wing media tycoon’s death, reportedly spurred private conversations among the Murdoch siblings about their father’s succession plan.
In sealed testimony delivered in Reno, Nevada, last September, Murdoch and his four eldest children—Lachlan, James, Elisabeth, and Prudence—discussed how the show inspired a public-relations strategy for the patriarch’s eventual death. Elisabeth’s representative to the family trust, Mark Devereux, wrote a so-called ‘Succession memo’ aimed at avoiding real-life turmoil, marking the start of the feud.
Murdoch, 93, sought to alter the family trust to grant his eldest son Lachlan “permanent” and “exclusive” control, shifting voting power away from his more moderate children. However, Nevada commissioner Edmund J. Gorman Jr. blocked the changes, describing them as a “carefully crafted charade” conducted in “bad faith.” Murdoch’s lawyer confirmed they will appeal the decision.
The dispute does not involve financial inheritance, as the proposed changes would not reduce the children’s wealth. Instead, it centres on voting power, with Murdoch aiming to secure a conservative editorial direction across outlets like Fox News and The Wall Street Journal. The court’s decision is a setback for Murdoch’s vision of a Lachlan-led future.
James, Elisabeth, and Prudence welcomed the ruling, expressing hope for rebuilding relationships. James Murdoch, who clashed with Lachlan over Fox News’s coverage of Donald Trump, resigned from the News Corp board in 2020. The legal battle has amplified divisions within the family over the empire’s political stance. Murdoch is worth an estimated $17bn (£13.8bn).
