In the ever captivating saga of the Murdoch family succession, last week’s plot twist reveals Rupert Murdoch‘s desire to reunite Fox Corporation and News Corp was heralded in the press as another victory for the chosen son, Lachlan Murdoch, CEO and executive chairman of the former company and co-chair of the latter. “Rupert Murdoch Media Would Elevate Son,” read Murdoch’s headline Wall Street Journal. “The move would likely consolidate power in the hands of his son Lachlan Murdoch,” a Bloomberg article agrees.
But as with the irresistible HBO series clearly inspired by the Murdochs, the heir apparent is always only one dagger away from losing the throne. In Lachlan’s case, that dagger would hypothetically be stabbed in the back upon the death of Rupert, now 91. (Whose mother has reached the advanced age of 103 – take that as you will.) It’s a theory that has gained a certain prominence among murdochologists in recent years: Lachlan’s siblings James, Elizabeth, and Caution, co-shareholders of the Murdoch Family Trust would vote their brother out of power after the old man died.
I remember reading about this prospect for the first time in hoax, the book Brian Stelter published in the summer of 2020 about Donald Trump and Fox News. “People in James’ orbit floated a scenario that could put him back in charge of Fox News sometime later,” Stelter wrote. In the case of Rupert’s death, these people suggested that James could work with his sisters to take control of Fox Corp from Lachlan. Sources said Elisabeth would definitely side with James, and Prudence probably would too – three votes to one. Was this a serious possibility or just a liberal fantasy? “Time will tell,” said a source.
The fratricide chess movement resurfaced months later, this time in a profile of James by Maureen Dowd: “[I]Is the great game of Murdoch succession really over? Murdoch media viewers say James is on a par with his sister, Elisabeth, and his half-sister Prudence, even though he is estranged from his father and brother. When Rupert, 89, finally leaves the stage and his older children take over, that could be three votes in the family trust to one.”
An upcoming biography of Lachlan, which I got my hands on a few weeks ago, describes the three-on-one scenario in its strongest terms yet. Here is the relevant passage from the book, the successor—which hits shelves on November 15—by Australian journalist Paddy Manning:
In addition, Manning writes about a proposal first unveiled in Jim Rutenberg and Jonathan Mahleris 2019 New York Times Magazine opus about the Murdoch Empire Time James, Elisabeth and Prudence had agreed in 2018 to sell their shares to Lachlan and their father, but Lachlan didn’t bite because it was “financially unfeasible” at the time. Manning reports: “Sources close by… members of the Murdoch family now say the three siblings’ stock is no longer for sale.” By the way, in the latest episode of the new CNN series, based on their magazine article, Rutenberg and Mahler also touch upon the idea of James, Elisabeth and Prudence possibly taking on Lachlan in a post-Rupert world.
The caveat, as any Murdoch spokesperson would tell you, is that this is all just speculation. That may be the case. But it’s also worth reading between the lines: a droplet like this usually doesn’t just come out of nowhere… motivated sources whisper the intrigue in the ears of journalists. Manning would clearly not discuss his own sources, but speaking generally of his reporting, he said: “There is a determination, among Elisabeth, Prudence and James, to get this case on track. That is a point that is against me.” made. These siblings are bidding their time.”
On a related note, the successorThe epilogue opens with an anecdote that feels particularly juicy in light of last week’s news of the proposed corporate reunion:[O]On Wednesday, February 9, 2022, Lachlan Murdoch had woken up at 4 a.m. at his Chartwell mansion in Los Angeles…”
