Rupert Murdoch, 93, Fails In Bid To Change Family Trust To Ensure Fox News Stays Conservative After His Death, Judge Accuses Him Of ‘Bad Faith’

Billionaire Rupert Murdoch has failed to change his family trust to centralize control of his media empire in the hands of his son, Lachlan, according to a sealed document. 

On Saturday, Nevada commissioner Edmund Gorman concluded that Rupert and Lachlan, who is the head of Fox News and News Corp., had acted in “bad faith” in trying to amend the irrevocable trust. 

The trust currently divides the company’s equal control among Rupert’s four oldest children – Lachlan, James, Elisabeth and Prudence – after his death. 

Rupert’s attempt to amend the family trust stems from a desire to fortify Lachlan’s leadership of the family’s media empire, ensuring that the news outlets – Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and other major newspapers and television companies – remain staunchly conservative. 

The business magnate, 93, has long intended to leave these companies to his children, but he is also determined to preserve the right-wing ideology that is the foundation of many of these outlets. 

James and Elisabeth are both known to have less conservative political views than their father or brother. 

Rupert and Lachlan had to prove that the changes were being made to benefit all of the Murdoch heirs. In court, they argued that consolidating Lachlan’s control of the empire would ensure that it remained on its profitable conservative course—benefiting all of the children. 

James, Elisabeth and Prudence strongly disagreed, arguing that they were being disenfranchised from their own family trust under what they maintained was a false presumption. 

The commissioner sided with the three siblings. In his eyes, Gorman said that the plan to change the trust was a “carefully crafted charade” to “permanently cement Lachlan Murdoch’s executive roles” inside the empire “regardless of the impacts such control would have over the companies or the beneficiaries.”

Rupert’s lawyer, Adam Streisand, noted they were unhappy with the decision and intended to appeal. 

Following the decision, James, Elisabeth and Prudence issued a joint statement, hoping that the family could focus on mending strained relationships. 

“We welcome Commissioner Gorman’s decision and hope that we can move beyond this litigation to focus on strengthening and rebuilding relationships among all family members,” the siblings said.

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