More than 3,000 pages of documents reveal how years of betrayals led to a messy court battle that threatens the future of Rupert’s empire:
This article is based on the contents of those documents, which tell a story of bitterness and betrayal that not even the writers of HBO’s “Succession” — itself inspired by the Murdoch family — could have conjured. As reporters, we have covered this powerful dynasty for two decades and have never been afforded a more revealing window into it, or a more intimate portrait of Rupert: the towering mogul in his twilight, fixated on securing his legacy regardless of the damage being done to his family in the process.Rupert chose Lachlan as his successor [top left, with brother James flanking his father at right] in large part because he was confident that his oldest son would hold the conservative line. But if he fails to consolidate Lachlan’s control over the trust before he dies, the future of his companies will be thrown into uncertainty. The other three siblings could topple their brother and reorient the companies’ editorial bent. Or they could simply do nothing and let the trust expire. That is set to happen in 2030, at which point everyone would be free to sell their controlling shares to outsiders. These documents reveal that in a matter of years, the empire that Rupert spent his life building may no longer be controlled by his family.
