(Substack)—The Murdoch family’s long-running drama over who would steer the vast media empire built by Rupert Murdoch came to a close on Monday, with eldest son Lachlan emerging as the clear victor. This resolution, reminiscent of the power struggles in HBO’s “Succession”—a show reportedly inspired by the Murdochs themselves—secures Lachlan’s grip on Fox Corp. and News Corp., the parent companies behind Fox News, the New York Post, and the Wall Street Journal.
Details of the agreement reveal a new trust, LGC Holdco LLC, established for Lachlan and his younger sisters, Grace and Chloe. As outlined in the announcement, “Lachlan Murdoch will control all the votes in LGC Holdco, which will hold large stakes in Fox Corp., parent company of top-rated cable network Fox News, and News Corp—whose properties include the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal—once the deal is completed.”
his setup hands Lachlan unchallenged authority over the family’s voting shares, ensuring his vision shapes the direction of these outlets long after his 94-year-old father’s influence wanes.
The path to this outcome was marked by deep divisions, particularly between Lachlan and his brother James, the second son who has long clashed with the family’s right-leaning tilt. James’s departure from the board in 2020 captured the tension perfectly: he resigned “due to disagreements over certain editorial content published by the Company’s news outlets and certain other strategic decisions.”
Those words, issued in a formal statement, pointed to James’s discomfort with Fox News’s shift toward more aggressive conservative commentary, a direction that accelerated under Lachlan’s growing role. Reports at the time suggested James viewed the network’s content as veering too far into partisan territory, a stance that set him at odds with Lachlan, who has been described as even more conservative than Rupert himself.
While the settlement provides financial windfalls for the other siblings—each receiving around $1 billion in buyouts, totaling a $3.3 billion payout—the real stakes lie in editorial control. James, along with sisters Elisabeth and Prudence, steps away from any oversight, leaving Lachlan to navigate the empire solo. For Fox News viewers who rely on its unapologetic conservative voice, this might seem like a win, preserving the channel’s hard-right stance that has defined it since Lachlan took a leadership position in 2016.
Yet, Lachlan’s personal disdain for Donald Trump introduces a layer of uncertainty that could ripple through the network’s coverage. In private conversations, Lachlan has not held back his contempt. As revealed in reporting from 2022, he once denounced some of Trump’s behavior in terms that went far beyond public criticisms aired on Fox.
This aligns with broader family sentiments; former Fox host Tucker Carlson, who knows the Murdochs well, stated bluntly, “The Murdochs really hate Trump,” adding, “There’s no-one who hates Trump more than the Murdochs.”
Carlson’s remarks, made during a 2025 interview, underscore the chasm between the family’s elite worldview and the populist energy Trump represents—a gap that has frustrated insiders who see Fox as Trump’s staunchest ally.
Sources close to the family have echoed this, noting that Lachlan “had trouble with Trump’s unpredictability,” much like his father. Even as Fox News has largely refrained from attacking Trump on air, Lachlan’s behind-the-scenes barbs suggest a reluctance to fully embrace the former president’s orbit.
With Trump back in the political spotlight, this private animosity could test Lachlan’s ability to balance the network’s audience demands against his own reservations. Analysts point out that while the settlement locks in conservative editorial lines for now, Lachlan’s pro-immigrant leanings—described by him as a personal philosophy—might clash with Trump’s hardline policies on deportation and borders.
The deal’s finality means Rupert’s legacy endures through Lachlan, but not without risks. As one industry observer put it, the arrangement “ensures Fox News will retain its conservative editorial direction under Lachlan’s stewardship.” For conservatives tuning in daily, the question remains: Will Lachlan’s control fortify the empire’s role as a bulwark against liberal media, or will his Trump skepticism erode its edge? Only time, and the next election cycle, will tell.
