But the year-old is less interested in the daily grind of running a publicly listed company, and has grown weary of the relentless controversies surrounding Fox News, said several people who have worked with him. Lachlan has never been viewed as a particularly hands-on chief executive, splitting his time between Los Angeles, where Fox holds a corporate office, New York and holidays in the ski resort town of Aspen, Colorado , where he owns a sprawling estate.
Every few months, reports swirl that Murdoch is stepping in to jolt operations at Fox. There are areas where Lachlan has made his mark at Fox. Associates say Lachlan is actually more conservative in outlook than his father, and more likely to be hobnobbing with Tucker Carlson and other Fox hosts, giving them free rein on air.
Day-to-day power within Fox is also exercised by a man chosen by Lachlan rather than his father: Viet Dinh , a Harvard-trained lawyer who worked in the Bush White House. Dinh is a close family friend of Lachlan — godfather to one of his children — and described as sharp, ambitious and ultraconservative. On strategy too, Lachlan has also thrust Fox into sports gambling with gusto, a business Murdoch has long been uncomfortable with in principle.
Since the Disney deal, James has charted a starkly independent course from the family business. Murdoch family intrigue converges on the family trust. Rupert Murdoch is no longer a beneficiary — having gifted his assets to the next generation — but retains ultimate control, including over its News Corp and Fox Corporation shares. The trust acts as one in company matters, wielding roughly 40 per cent of voting B shares. This means that for any decision to be taken, at least two or three siblings will need to agree.
Alliances within the second generation — and even who is talking to one another — have shifted dramatically over the years. It is hard to predict how they will play out again. Two Murdoch associates say James hopes he can co-ordinate with his sisters Elisabeth and Prudence to reset the priorities for Fox News and the Australian news division, if necessary by overriding Lachlan.
Following the Disney deal, Lachlan looked at the possibility of buying out James, according to two people familiar with the developments. But it proved expensive and difficult, and did not advance to a serious stage. Perhaps just as importantly, James and his wife Kathryn decided their priority was not to just take the money from the Murdoch media assets, but to wait until they were in a position to influence the direction of the companies.
The couple tell friends they want a dramatic transformation of editorial standards. The two-year anniversary of the 21st Century Fox deal is more than symbolic. A reappraisal of the empire has begun. What does he want to run? And would he prefer to put his energy into a new entrepreneurial venture, rather than overseeing legacy assets?
From those choices a chessboard of options emerge for the family business. So how much does Murdoch allow his son to choose potential assets? With the Democrats now in power in America, will the phenomenally successful but right-leaning Fox News that had President Trump as a devotee continue to lose ratings?
Fox News points out that its ratings are still ahead in primetime, and it has lodged a petition to dismiss the lawsuit. Murdoch, who has just celebrated the fifth anniversary of his marriage to fourth wife Jerry Hall, has never worried about critics and enemies, of course. So it seems unlikely that he will start now. If his past record is anything to go by, 90 may prove to be just another number.
Portsmouth Climate Festival — Portsmouth, Portsmouth. Edition: Available editions United Kingdom. Become an author Sign up as a reader Sign in. Once the split is completed, Murdoch will serve as chairman of both companies and will also serve as CEO of the media and entertainment company.
October 13, - Murdoch tweets about "scumbag" celebrities. Many speculated he was referring to singer Charlotte Church and television presenter Jacqui Hames after they met with British Prime Minister David Cameron to discuss the potential reform of Britain's media laws. Murdoch tweets later that he wasn't referring to "particular people" and apologizes for his language. January - Following the Paris terror attacks , Murdoch is criticized for tweeting "Maybe most Moslems peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible.
But Muslim community must debate and confront extremism. January 11, - Announces his engagement to Jerry Hall, the former model who has four children with Mick Jagger. The celebratory wedding takes place at St. Bride's Church in London, the next day. The two will report to Murdoch. June 29, - The British government rules that Murdoch's 21st Century Fox should not be allowed to purchase Sky without a further investigation.
Fox says it will "continue to work constructively with the UK authorities. July 27, - Shareholders approve Disney's purchase of most of 21st Century Fox.
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