Rupert Murdoch’s effort to amend his family’s irrevocable trust, granting his son Lachlan control over his media empire, has been blocked by a Nevada probate commissioner. The ruling, made public on Monday, comes after a lengthy legal battle. The court decision stated that both Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch acted in “bad faith” when attempting to alter the terms of the trust, which originally divides control of the Murdoch family’s media empire equally among four of Rupert’s children: Prudence, Elisabeth, Lachlan, and James.
Nevada Court Rules Against Rupert Murdoch’s Family Plan
Rupert Murdoch, 93, argued that the trust needed to be modified to ensure Fox News maintained its conservative editorial stance after his passing. Lachlan, who has led Fox News and News Corp since last year, was positioned as the one to uphold this direction, especially given his political alignment. In contrast, his siblings James and Elisabeth hold more liberal views, which Murdoch believed might jeopardize the future of his media properties.
The probate commissioner, Edmund J. Gorman Jr., described the attempt to change the trust as a “carefully crafted charade” designed to solidify Lachlan’s control, regardless of the impact on the beneficiaries or the companies involved. Gorman’s opinion, spanning 96 pages, concluded that the proposed changes were an unfair manipulation aimed at ensuring that Lachlan’s leadership could not be contested after Rupert’s death.
In response to the ruling, Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan expressed disappointment, announcing plans to appeal the decision. Meanwhile, a representative for Rupert’s other children welcomed the decision, hoping it would lead to a resolution and better family relationships going forward. The ruling casts a significant shadow over the Murdoch family’s succession plan and raises questions about the future leadership of their vast media empire.
