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- By Supratik Das
- Tue, 09 Sep 2025 06:20 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Murdoch family's long-standing succession saga is over, as Rupert Murdoch's oldest son, Lachlan Murdoch, has emerged as the undisputed head of the family's USD 24 billion international media empire. The deal announced on Monday seals his grip on Fox Corporation and News Corp, and his siblings, Prudence MacLeod, Elisabeth Murdoch and James Murdoch will each get around USD 1.1 billion for their stakes. This historic settlement brings an end to years of courtroom battles and behind-the-scenes power struggles that have been likened to HBO's Succession. It also guarantees that Rupert Murdoch's global media empire, stretching from the United States to the United Kingdom and Australia, will remain under the stewardship of his most politically right-wing child.
Who Is Lachlan Murdoch?
Born in London in 1971, Lachlan Keith Murdoch is the firstborn son of Rupert Murdoch and Scottish journalist Anna Maria de Peyster (née Anna Mann), his second wife. Raised at highly exclusive American schools, he graduated from Princeton University in 1994. Throughout the years, Lachlan has established himself as a hard-line conservative voice within the family, firmly connected with Republican politics in America. He has served in a number of senior positions within the empire and, as of 2023, is Executive Chairman of News Corp and CEO of Fox Corporation. Married to British-Australian television presenter and model Sarah Murdoch since 1999, Lachlan is a father of three children. His consistent climb up the ranks and ideological agreement with his father made him Rupert Murdoch's most reliable heir despite the fact that his siblings frequently dissented against the direction of the company on matters of politics.
The new family trust grants Lachlan sole authority over the Murdoch family's holdings in Fox and News Corp until 2050, essentially placing him in command of one of the world's most powerful media groups.
• Fox Corporation comprises Fox News Media, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, affiliate station transactions and streaming platform Tubi Media Group. It earned revenues of $16 billion and a net income of $2.29 billion for the fiscal year June 30.
• News Corp controls leading publishing brands such as The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones, HarperCollins, The New York Post, The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, and The Australian. The group reported revenues of $8.5 billion with a net income of $648 million during the same period.
Why Rupert Murdoch Chose Lachlan?
At the age of 94, Rupert Murdoch was quoted as calling his empire a "protector of the conservative voice in the English-speaking world" and declared that only his one son, Lachlan, could carry on this mission. Internal emails and court papers show Murdoch informed his ex-wife Anna: "The fact remains Lachlan is the best to run the business — greatly respected inside and outside." His other children, especially James Murdoch, had been against this line. James has been vocal in his criticism of Fox News' climate change reporting and Donald Trump endorsements, labeling the network a "menace to democracy." The disagreements stretched the family division, but the recent settlement has now ended the fight.
According to the deal, Prudence, Elisabeth, and James will leave with their billion-dollar payoffs, and Lachlan will share a newly established USD 3.3 billion trust with his younger half-sisters Grace and Chloe Murdoch, Rupert's daughters from Wendi Deng. This way, the family holds a consolidated financial interest in Fox and News Corp, even though decision-making power lies exclusively with Lachlan.
With power tightly under his control, Lachlan Murdoch now bears the burden of his father's legacy, leading a USD 24 billion empire in a time characterized by digital disruption, political polarization, and intense competition across global media. As Rupert Murdoch takes a step back from the day-to-day, his vision continues to persist: to continue to keep the empire on a conservative editorial agenda. For Lachlan, the test will be how to balance profitability and influence — and to protect the Murdoch brand for the next generation.
