A high-stakes legal fight over the future of Rupert Murdoch’s vast media empire kicked off on Monday in a Reno, Nevada courtroom. The case centers on a bitter
dispute over who will control the billionaire’s global television and publishing holdings after his death.
Murdoch, now 93, is reportedly seeking to alter the terms of the family trust, which holds substantial interests in Fox Corporation, the parent of Fox News, and News Corp, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal. According to a sealed court document obtained by the New York Times, Murdoch’s move aims to ensure his eldest son, Lachlan Murdoch, takes control of the media companies when the time comes.
The probate court hearing, which will determine if Murdoch is acting in good faith, is closed to the public, with most documents kept under seal. On Thursday, a Nevada judge denied an appeal from Reuters and other media outlets seeking to open the proceedings, arguing that keeping personal and financial information confidential outweighed public interest in the case.
The Murdoch family trust, established during Rupert Murdoch’s 1999 divorce from his second wife, Anna, is the mechanism through which he maintains control over both News Corp and Fox. The trust controls around 40% of the voting shares in each company.
Upon Murdoch’s passing, voting shares in the companies are set to be distributed among his four eldest children: Prudence, Elisabeth, Lachlan, and James. This structure could allow three of the heirs to overrule the fourth, creating the potential for a power struggle, even though Lachlan currently leads Fox and serves as sole chairman of News Corp.
On Monday morning, the Murdoch family gathered in Reno for the hearing. James, Elisabeth, and Prudence arrived first, with Rupert and Lachlan following later. The session was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
Murdoch’s proposed changes, according to the New York Times, would prevent Lachlan’s more politically moderate siblings from interfering with his leadership of the companies. Lachlan is seen as closely aligned with his father’s conservative views, while James, who left the News Corp board in 2020 over disagreements about editorial direction, has since supported progressive causes.