Battle for the Inheritance: Murdoch Dynasty in Court

In the USA, a court has blocked Rupert Murdoch's attempt to transfer control of the family media empire to his eldest son. The 93-year-old media mogul failed in a lengthy legal dispute against three of his other children with the aim of altering the family fortune in his favor. The court ruling now preserves equal voting power for his four eldest children in controlling companies like News Corp and Fox News after Murdoch's death. A court commissioner found that Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan, the current head of Fox News and News Corp, acted "in bad faith." Their efforts were described as a "carefully orchestrated charade" aimed at permanently securing Lachlan's control. This insight was gained by The New York Times from a sealed document. Interestingly, the conflict over the family fortune does not appear to revolve around financial benefits. Instead, Murdoch's plan would have affected the voting rights of his less conservative children to secure a right-wing agenda in his media empire. Murdoch's attorney, Adam Streisand, announced plans to appeal the Nevada court's decision. Meanwhile, the three older children - Prudence, Elisabeth, and James - welcomed the ruling and expressed a desire to reconcile the family and strengthen relationships. The legal disputes reportedly began after watching an episode of the HBO drama series "Succession." This reportedly led Elisabeth's representatives to draft a memo to prevent a similar family rift in reality. The discussions over the family fortune highlight the deep divisions within the Murdoch family and raise questions about the future direction of the media company.