"[...]An explosive succession trial and an astonishing interview with one of Rupert’s sons have exposed the paranoia and hatred at the heart of global media’s most powerful family.
The stories followed the end of the secret trial involving the fate of the
. The mogul’s four eldest children – Lachlan, James, Elisabeth and Prudence – were set to inherit the family firm following Rupert’s death. But four years ago, just after turning 90, Rupert had tried to cut James, Liz and Prue out of their inheritance and hand the businesses over to Lachlan, his favoured heir who also happens to share his increasingly right-wing politics.
The lawsuit was brought by the three errant offspring, and in December a Nevada commissioner ruled in their favour, accusing Rupert and Lachlan of acting in “bad faith”. The trial took place in secret, but the fallout – thanks to the
New York Times investigation and a 13,000-word
Atlantic interview with James – has been anything but.[...]
The fallout from this family saga will not just be felt by Rupert’s six children (two by his
, inherit an economic rather than controlling stake) but by a vast business empire which includes Fox News in the US, HarperCollins and news titles, including the
Times and the
Sun in the UK."