Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch is engaged in a legal battle against his three children to ensure that his eldest son and chosen successor, Lachlan Murdoch, will remain in charge of his media empire, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
The report, citing unsealed court documents, said Murdoch was attempting to expand Lachlan Murdoch’s voting rights in the Murdoch Family Trust to give him a majority and ensure the siblings could not challenge him.
The Reno, Nevada-based family trust holds shares in Murdoch’s vast collection of television networks and newspapers through the News Corp and Fox Corp companies.
Lachlan Murdoch is chairman of News Corp., whose publications include The Wall Street Journal and The Sun, and chairman and chief executive of Fox Corp.
The trust currently has eight votes: four are controlled by Murdoch, and the remaining four are controlled by his four children from his first two marriages. Murdoch’s youngest daughters, Chloe and Grace, from his third wife, Wendi Deng, do not have voting rights in the trust.
The report says that Murdoch is arguing in court that having Lachlan Murdoch run the company without interference from his more politically liberal siblings – James, Elizabeth and Prudence Murdoch – would help maintain the company’s conservative editorial stance, protecting its commercial value for all his heirs.
Lawyers for Fox Corp, News Corp and Murdoch did not respond to Reuters requests for comment, while lawyers for three children involved in the legal battle could not be immediately reached.
Fox News remains America’s number one cable news network, playing an influential role in American politics, particularly among Republicans, who value Fox’s conservative audience.
The report said Murdoch was concerned that a “lack of consensus” among his four children would “affect the strategic direction of both companies, including possible restructuring of editorial policy and content”, citing a court ruling that he wanted Lachlan Murdoch to hand over “permanent” and “exclusive” control of the company.