If you’ve never seen HBO’s “Succession,” I highly recommend it. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I found it to be a fascinating blend of fine writing, interpersonal drama, and cutthroat, high-stakes corporate maneuvering. The series was reportedly based on Rupert Murdoch, his family, and his News Corp.-Fox News empire.
Murdoch’s family has no shortage of its own theatrics, as we have written about, but on Monday, many questions about the future of the conglomerate were answered:
The Murdoch family on Monday resolved the legal battle over control of its media empire, which includes Fox Corp. and News Corp, the company said.
Lachlan Murdoch — the executive chairman and CEO of Fox Corp. and chairman of News Corp — will maintain control of the media giant forged by his 94-year-old father, Rupert Murdoch.
Under the terms of the deal, a new trust called LGC Holdco LLC, will be established for the benefit of Lachlan Murdoch, and his younger sisters Grace and Chloe Murdoch.
Lachlan would appear to hold the most powerful cards in the arrangement:
Lachlan Murdoch will control all the votes in LGC Holdco, which will hold large stakes in Fox Corp., parent company of top-rated cable network Fox News, and News Corp — whose properties include the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal — once the deal is completed.
Lachlan Murdoch buys out his siblings, will control Fox for decades to come. Huge win if you care about a true marketplace of ideas in the country, it’s basically Fox vs every other left wing legacy media outlet in TV & newspapers.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 8, 2025
READ MORE: Fox in Court: Blockbuster Trial Begins This Week That Could Determine Future of Murdoch Empire
Reports for years had indicated that there was strife within the family, with second son James rumored to be less enamored with his father’s conservative political bent than first son Lachlan.
Lachlan solidified his position within Fox's ranks when his brother James, the fourth child and second son of Rupert, suddenly resigned from the board in 2020 "due to disagreements over certain editorial content published by the Company's news outlets and certain other strategic decisions." While it was not apparent what editorial content pushed James to resign, he had previously indicated apprehension with the network's growing conservative slant.
Lachlan, however, has been reported to be even more conservative than his 92-year-old father, raising questions as to what Fox News will look like under his leadership.
Pray that the eldest son of Rupert Murdoch (Lachlan) wins his battle against his siblings to keep control of Fox News.
— Jeff Clark (@JeffClarkUS) September 7, 2024
James is a liberal. If he takes over, Fox will become a CNN clone.
We are outnumbered as conservatives too much already in MSM. pic.twitter.com/CZ8IecVfj3
Although it looks like Lachlan outfoxed the competition, his siblings won’t make off too badly: they’re each slated to receive about $1 billion once the deal closes.
With Lachlan assuming the helm, it would seem that the battle has been won:
Industry analysts say the settlement ensures Fox News will retain its conservative editorial direction under Lachlan’s stewardship, who has kept Fox’s hard-right status intact since he assumed a position of leadership over the network in 2016. The Wall Street Journal, along with other News Corp assets, will also remain under the same strategic vision, with no indication of major change in governance or content direction.
When I wrote about the succession struggle in September of 2024, I argued that although Fox News is far from perfect—who is?—they are far better than the alternative. My opinion has not changed:
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.
I’m rooting for Lachlan.
And RedState, of course.
Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie.
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