In this exploration of the Murdoch family's internal power struggles, Jonathan Mahler and Jim Rutenberg dive into the events surrounding Rupert Murdoch's attempts to secure his legacy. With over 3,000 pages of court documents available as a source, the authors illustrate a tale of betrayal, familial tensions, and a secretive plan to consolidate control within the empire.
This would be Rupert’s last deal, and it was in many ways his most important one. He had devoted his entire life to building this vast global media empire, and it had changed the course of history. But the messiness of his own personal life — and a family trust whose terms had been largely dictated by a spurned ex-wife — prevented him from controlling its destiny after he was gone. His legacy was under threat, not from a competitor but from his own family.
Emotions quickly boiled over at the special meeting of the trust. Liz, who was secretly taping the proceedings, accused her father and brother of “raping” the family company. “You think there’s going to be consensus with a gun to our head?” she said. “If you think that’s harmony, we must be in North Korea.”