Murdochs vs. Murdochs: Rupert and His Children Go to Trial Over Control of His Trust

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A trial straight of Succession began in Reno, Nevada yesterday.

Rupert Murdoch, the 93-year-old head of a global media empire including Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, wants to change the rules for an irrevocable family trust that holds his assets. As it stands, his children serve as beneficiaries of the trust, but Murdoch would like to make some changes. (According to AP, "Irrevocable trusts are typically used to limit estate taxes, among other reasons, and can’t be changed without permission from the beneficiaries or via a court order.")

Based on reporting by the New York Times, the issue at the center of the case is as follows: Rupert wants to ensure that when he dies, control of the trust goes to his oldest son, Lachlan. Lachlan replaced Rupert in November 2023 as chairman of Fox and News Corp. However, three of his other children—James, Elisabeth, and Prudence—oppose the change to this trust. Right now, all four children have equal voting power over the trust. Rupert's two youngest children, Grace and Chloe, "share equally in the financial bounty, but have been promised no control," per NPR.

"From what we know, this plan essentially seeks to put Prudence, James and Elisabeth on the same footing as Murdoch’s two younger daughters," Walter Marsh, author of the biography Young Rupert: The Making of the Murdoch Empire, told the BBC.

Proceedings are closed to the public and the media, but a group of media outlets—including the New York Times, CNN, the Associated Press, Reuters, and more—have filed a petition to relax the secrecy around it. Per Reuters, "The news organizations say the public has immense interest in which of Murdoch’s children will succeed him at the helm of the influential media empire, an outcome that will affect thousands of jobs, millions of worldwide media consumers and the political landscape."

All Murdochs are in attendance at the trial, including Rupert and his new wife, Elena Zhukova Murdoch.

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