'Making trouble': Court unseals Murdoch family succession documents
Newly unsealed court documents reveal how the world's biggest family succession drama played out in court, and the crucial role an Australian executive played.
In 2024, court documents revealed the ins and outs of Rupert Murdoch's efforts to alter his family trust. Australia Post chair Siobhan McKenna, once Lachlan Murdoch's closest advisor, led the charge to amend the trust, according to the court ruling. The documents, previously cited in media reports, are now publicly released, detailing the battle for control of the media empire.
The 96-page court document, unsealed overnight, stated that the plan to change the trust was a meticulously planned deception. It found that Rupert and Lachlan acted in bad faith towards their siblings - James, Elisabeth, and Prudence. They argued that the plan was designed to consolidate control of the media empire in Lachlan's hands, rather than splitting it equally among the children.
The court ruled that the succession battle was a carefully crafted charade, designed to protect Lachlan's power, regardless of the impact on the beneficiaries. Rupert and Lachlan's managing directors were motivated by the desire to serve their own wishes, eliminating the "math problem" that could lead the other managing directors to outvote Lachlan after Rupert's death.
The court found that Rupert and Lachlan's plan was designed to protect their own interests, not those of the other siblings. Despite the court's ruling, the family reached a deal in 2025, guaranteeing Lachlan control of his father's media empire after the patriarch's death, with the other siblings each receiving over $1.52 billion for their shares.
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