The HBO series Succession is increasingly resembling House Of Murdoch, in which patriarch Rupert battles with three of his adult children over who will take control of the family's media empire when he dies.
Rupert Murdoch tries to secure Lachlan Murdoch's control | 7NEWS
An irrevocable trust that has existed for years would give control to four of them — Lachlan, James, Elisabeth and Prudence. But Murdoch the elder is trying to change that by ensuring that Lachlan, the current CEO of Fox, would remain in charge, according to a New York Times story. That has led to a rift with the other three siblings, who are trying to block him.
Prudence is Murdoch's eldest daughter by his first wife, Patricia Booke. Lachlan, Elisabeth and James are his children by Anna Torv. Rupet Murdoch, 93, had two children with his third wife, Wendi Deng, who have a beneficial interest in the trust but no voting rights.
The NYT says Murdoch is seeking the change to avoid infighting. He fears that his more liberal-leaning descendants might try to oust Lachlan and change the editorial direction of the company. They could do so, by a vote of three to one for Lachlan. Rupert believes that would destroy the considerable economic value that rests in Fox, and that preserving that value is in the best interests of all his heirs.
