If you support Conservative Fox News - you must back Rupert Murdoch in his battle with his children - Kelvin MacKenzie
PA
Kelvin MacKenzie is the former editor of the Sun - owned by Rupert Murdoch
Even the writer of the TV drama Succession would have found this storyline improbable. It has emerged, thanks to the New York Times (bizarrely the Great Man’s nemesis) that Rupert Murdoch is battling with three of his children through the courts to make sure the conservative line of Fox News and the Wall Street Journal is maintained after his death.
But, in reality, he is fighting for all the viewers and readers of his media who believe in, and enjoy, those right of centre views -the very views that made them successful and commercially profitable.
The fight is fascinating, showing Rupert at his best and his entitled children at their worst. The story starts with a family trust for Liz, James, Lachlan and Prudence each being given one have one share which means they decide on the future of Fox and News Corp (The Times and The Sun etc) on Murdoch’s death.
All was reasonably well until Lachlan, a conservative, was given the top job of CEO across all the Murdoch properties. James and Liz were furious and made it clear that when dad died they would force him out and make a business like Fox News more liberal.
Rupert knows what sells and knows what doesn’t. So, he swung into action and went to Nevada’s probate office to get them to change the terms of the trust, meaning that Lachlan’s vote would have more power than his siblings and therefore the conservative line would be held.
In a 48-page document the Nevada people agreed with Rupert that if you changed the political view of his media then the value of the whole trust would be damaged and okayed the changes.
There is now going to be a public trial in September with Murdoch hiring a lawyer who handled disputes involving Michael Jackson and Britany Spears and the children taking on a heavy hitter to make their points. This will be a must watch.
The right is on Rupert’s side. Anybody who has worked closely with him knows he is ordinately clever. The Mozart of the media. And whatever happened to Mozart’s kids? H
Liz and James have had preferment all their lives due entirely to the name Murdoch. They have received access to capital and had doors opened for them which would never have happened were it not for the family.
It’s not although they are skint. Each of them picked up £2billion thanks to him selling a chunk of the empire to Disney and Comcast a few years ago. You would have thought that they would be so grateful they would have let the old man just get on with it. After all he created all the wealth for them, the employees and the shareholders.
Their contribution was bugger all by comparison.
At 93 Murdoch, and now retired (not really. He still gets involved, but only in things that interest him) but wants to be sure that his big bet, Fox News, which basically holds up much of the empire , carries on smoothly and follows the Trump line.
It would be sheer madness to suddenly start spouting the Kamala Harris for President. The business would go bust faster Joe Biden’s PE.
It’s not often the public will be on the side of Rupert Murdoch. This fight is different. Go for it Rupe.