The HBO drama Succession concluded after four seasons, but the real-life version appears to be set for a much longer run. The New York Times reports that 93-year-old media mogul Rupert Murdoch has become estranged from three of his four oldest children amid a secret legal battle over the future of his media empire. According to sealed court documents seen by the Times, Murdoch is trying to change the terms of a supposedly irrevocable family trust to ensure that his media properties, including Fox News, keep their conservative editorial stance after he dies. Changes can be made to the trust if it's determined they're being made in good faith for the benefit of all members, the Times notes.
When Murdoch stepped down from his leadership roles at Fox News and News Corp, he put his eldest son, 52-year-old Lachlan, in charge. The family trust gives Lachlan and siblings James, Elisabeth, and Prudence an equal say in the media empire after Murdoch's death.
- According to the documents seen by the Times, Murdoch is seeking to amend the trust so that Lachlan remains in charge and can't be outvoted. He argues that a lack of consensus "would impact the strategic direction at both companies, including a potential reorientation of editorial policy and content." James, Elisabeth, and Prudence are fighting the move in court, arguing that it violates the trust's "equal governance provision."
- Lachlan is known for having politics closest to his father's, while James and Elisabeth are seen as more liberal. Prudence, Murdoch's eldest child, is rarely involved, and her involvement is "a sign of how angry the siblings are about what they see as their father's power grab for the favored older son," Variety reports. James has criticized News Corp and Fox coverage of issues including climate change.
- The proposed change to the trust won't affect any of the children's stakes in the company. Murdoch's two youngest children, from his marriage to Wendi Deng, will also get equal shares, but they won't have any voting rights.
- According to the documents seen by the Times, William Barr, US attorney general under George HW Bush and Donald Trump, is leading Murdoch's efforts to rewrite the trust. A trial to determine whether the changes are being made in good faith is expected to begin in Reno, Nevada, in September.
- Sources tell the Times that Murdoch, aiming to avoid family infighting after he dies, dubbed the effort "Project Harmony," but efforts to get Elisabeth and Prudence on board backfired. Lachlan was the only one of the siblings to attend Murdoch's wedding last month.
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