How this battle between the Murdoch tribe evolves isn’t just about family democracy but about wider shareholder democracy.
In the eyes of the rest of the world’s media (including me), too much Murdoch news is never enough.
In December, Murdoch senior and his eldest son Lachlan lost the first step to challenge a trust that gives his four oldest children equal voting rights over who will run the empire.
Rupert Murdoch (centre) and his wife Elena Zhukova Murdoch arrive at the Second Judicial District Court in Reno, Nevada on September 16, 2024. Credit: AP
Murdoch has been attempting to cement Lachlan’s position to remain as head of News Corporation and Fox Corporation.
In December, it was revealed that the Nevada’s probate court had rejected the media mogul’s challenge, ruling that Murdoch’s four adult children would still have equal, shared control over their father’s media empire upon his death.
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But the secretive battle has moved into Nevada’s High Court, and there is a lot riding on the media’s appeal to have documents unsealed.
In September last year during the first hearing in the Nevada probate court, the news organisations petitioned a district court for access, arguing that the secrecy violated a constitutional right to access.
“The public has immense interest in which of Murdoch’s children will succeed him,” the news outlets said in their petition. “The succession will affect thousands of jobs, millions of worldwide media consumers, and the American political landscape.”
Lachlan Murdoch arrives for a probate court hearing in Reno, Nevada, on September 16, 2024. Credit: NYT
The outlets additionally argued that “Nevada’s courts are accountable to the public, and the public is entitled to know whether the trust at issue is being administered in accordance with the law. Certainly, an entire matter cannot be sealed such that its very existence is not a public record, even if all parties to the litigation agree.”
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Who controls both these publicly listed companies is also particularly important to their other shareholders, and their views on whether Lachlan Murdoch is the best choice to govern.
Thus, how this battle between the Murdoch tribe evolves isn’t just about family democracy but about wider shareholder democracy.
And it is hard to escape the irony of the history of Murdoch’s papers and their respectfulness of the privacy of other people.
Who could forget the UK phone scandal after which the company ultimately settled with a number of hacked celebrities?
Murdoch family dirt sells – it’s voyeur gold.
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