Rupert Murdoch’s attempt to amend his own family trust to leave his eldest son Lachlan in control of the family media empire has been blocked by a Nevada court.
In a sealed decision released at the weekend a Nevada court commissioner found Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch had acted in “bad faith” by trying to change the trust to leave Lachlan in control rather than his siblings, said a person familiar with the matter. The move would have cemented Rupert’s legacy in driving a rightwing agenda across its media businesses such as Fox News.
The decision is a “resounding victory” for the three younger Murdoch children — James, Elisabeth and Prudence — who were at risk of losing control of the multibillion-dollar business after the death of their father, said one person familiar with the ruling.