Rupert Murdoch’s Son, James, Denounces Father’s Power Grab Over $15 Billion Empire, Compares Family To ‘Succession’ Characters

Rupert Murdoch’s son, James, has condemned his father’s “misogynistic” views with brutal comparisons to the drama series Succession. James and his older brother, Lachlan, have been locked in an angry battle since the announcement that Lachlan will succeed their father as owner of the massive News Corp. empire. 

James bashed his family and revealed the depths of the drama surrounding the real-life Succession-esque conflict in an interview published for The Atlantic. James, 52, is allegedly the inspiration for the character of Roman Roy, played by Kieran Culkin. 

“My father was always trying to pull everyone into the company so that he could manipulate them against each other,” he said.

In the interview, James shared that he would not bring himself to watch the hit drama on Max (formerly HBO) based on the Murdoch family, declaring it too “painful.” However, he suggested that his relatives were good inspirations for the series, and other family members were supposedly “obsessed” with the show. 

Murdoch’s trust, established in 2006, is valued at $15 billion. It initially saw the control of his empire – which included Fox News, The Sun and The Times in the UK – as equally divided among his four children.

Last September, Lachlan and Rupert tried to prove in sealed testimony that a more conservative tone from Lachlan’s leadership would better serve the company. Murdoch’s three other children were adamantly opposed to their effort. Commissioner Edmond Gorman ruled against Murdoch, who has appealed the decision.

While Rupert’s eldest daughter, Prudence, has not actively participated in the family business, his other three children (Lachlan, James and Elisabeth) were all considered future successors. However, in the last few years, it was reported that Murdoch was concerned that the empire—most importantly, the right-wing Fox News—would become too centrist under the control of James or Elisabeth.

Rupert and Lachlan’s spokesperson protested James’ interview, classifying it as a “litany of falsehoods…from someone who no longer works for the companies but still benefits from them financially.”