Why the Murdoch family is secretly battling over succession in an obscure Nevada court

When Rupert Murdoch, the 93-year-old media mogul, quietly decided last year to upend the irrevocable family trust that governs who will control his sprawling global media empire after his death, the move ignited an intense feud among his children.

When Rupert Murdoch, the 93-year-old media mogul, quietly decided last year to upend the irrevocable family trust that governs who will control his sprawling global media empire after his death, the move ignited an intense feud among his children. But the secret family affair now playing out inside an obscure Reno, Nevada, courtroom like a page ripped from the scripted fireworks of the HBO show “Succession,” won’t be seen on television, or even in the written press. At the center of the battle is the billionaire patriarch’s stunning decision to petition a court late last year to amend the family trust that, as written, would have given equal voting shares upon his death to Murdoch’s eldest four children — Lachlan, James, Elisabeth, and Prudence. Instead, Murdoch is seeking to grant exclusive control to Lachlan, his eldest son and chosen successor. Lachlan, who is more aligned with his father’s conservative political views than his siblings, took over as chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corporation last September when his father stepped down. Citing court documents, which CNN has not independently seen, the New York Times reported that Murdoch felt that handing Lachlan control of the media businesses he founded would better protect their value after his death by maintaining a right-wing editorial bent. Now, the Reno court is set to begin hearing evidence Monday in what is expected to be a two week trial over the future of Murdoch’s sprawling right-wing media empire, including its highly profitable crown jewel Fox News. At stake is the direction of the mogul’s powerful and influential outlets, which could see their political slant moderated should Lachlan’s more centrist siblings take control. Last week, the younger James Murdoch, who resigned from News Corp. in 2020,  signed a public letter endorsing Kamala Harris for president, calling her election “the best way to support the continued strength, security, and reliability of our democracy and economy.” Spokespersons representing Rupert, Lachlan, James and Elisabeth Murdoch either declined to comment or did not respond to CNN requests for comment for this story. Prudence, Murdoch’s oldest child, could not be reached.