One of Rupert Murdoch’s most trusted columnists has labelled the billionaire’s son James ‘a most ungrateful, entitled and treacherous hypocrite’ in a blistering public takedown in the pages of the media magnate’s own newspapers.
Sky News political commentator and Herald Sun journalist Andrew Bolt fired off the extraordinary spray after James Murdoch discussed the family’s private affairs in a wide-ranging interview with the Atlantic magazine.
‘This second son of Rupert Murdoch, chairman emeritus of the Murdoch media empire, is getting hero headlines for abusing his father and brother [Lachlan] and whingeing how he’s been hard done by,’ Bolt fumed in the opinion piece that was syndicated in News Corp’s tabloid titles around the country.
‘He’s smearing his father as a “misogynist”, a bad dad, a man James’ children don’t want to see. He’s leaking private family conversations.
‘He’s also bitching about his brother Lachlan, now steering this company – all in a long profile of James in the left-wing Atlantic magazine, and gleefully retailed by Murdoch-hating papers.
‘I haven’t seen such treachery and jealousy since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did the same wah-wah about Harry’s family, falsely painting the royals as racists and bastards.’
Bolt noted that he had not briefed the Murdoch family – including News Corp chair Lachlan – about his decision to torch James in his weekly column or repeat the fierce spray on his eponymous Sky News program.
‘I should declare I did not warn Lachlan or his team I was writing this, and was not asked to,’ he said.
High-profile News Corp political newspaper has slammed Rupert Murdoch’s son in an extraordinary spray after he publicly spilled details about the billionaire family’s infighting
Bolt described his billionaire boss Rupert Murdoch’s son James (pictured in February 2023) as ‘a most ungrateful, entitled and treacherous hypocrite’ in the pages of the media tycoon’s own newspapers
Explaining the reasoning behind his public takedown, Bolt said he was incensed that James was ‘battling his father in court over the future of this company…[which] was actually built by his dad, who also made him a multi-billionaire’.
He said he feared James would effectively destroy the Murdoch media empire if he were to inherit control of the company with the support of his sisters, Elisabeth and Prudence.
The Murdoch family’s tight grip on Fox News and News Corp is held in large part by a family trust, established in 2006, and after the death of now 93-year-old Rupert, it will be divided equally among his four eldest children: Lachlan, James, Elisabeth and Prudence.
‘What happens after his death? Three of the children could then fire Lachlan overnight,’ Bolt said.
‘That’s a threat to the Murdoch empire, because James is a cookie-cutter New York leftist who’s publicly dumped on what it publishes and broadcasts.
‘For instance, he’s attacked Fox News, a massive money earner, announcing: “There are views I really disagree with on Fox News.”
‘He and wife Kathryn also attacked journalists on this paper and on Sky News for “ongoing denial” about global warming – which is actually our healthy scepticism about climate alarmism and the climate policies now devastating our electricity system.’
Bolt said it would be a disaster for freedom of speech and a rigorous democracy if there was no mainstream outlet for conservative voices, noting that ‘The Age, Sydney Morning Herald or Guardian Australia, which have zero on-staff conservative commentators’.
Bolt said he feared what would happen to the conservative media empire built by Rupert Murdoch (pictured in June 2023) if his son James were to assume control of the company
‘No wonder Murdoch media outlets are so popular with the public,’ he said.
Bolt told Daily Mail Australia that the fact he was able to file his frank and honest views on the Murdoch family’s own painful infighting underscored how important the media company was to free speech.
‘I knew it might cause anxiety among some,’ he said, adding there had been no attempts by editors or executives to censor his strong opinions on the matter.
‘It’s a tribute to the Murdoch family that they published my column with no question and no demure.
‘I wonder how many other publishing families would do that?’
In his wide-ranging interview, James opened up on the Succession-style family in-fighting battle for control of his father’s empire.
However he said he cannot bear to watch the HBO show, as it would be ‘too painful’ to see what is widely regarded as a dramatisation of the Murdoch clan.
He believes other relatives could be helping feed storylines to makers of the show, which starred British actor Brian Cox as Logan Roy – an apparent nod to Rupert – as well as Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook.
The Murdoch family’s in-fighting has inspired the hit TV series Succession starring (left to right) Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Brian Cox, Sarah Snook and Alan Ruck
Rupert Murdoch (left) and his son James (right) are pictured here in October 2010, when the younger man was president and CE of News Corporation’s Europe and Asia operations
The Murdoch family falling-out comes after Rupert tried to entrench eldest son Lachlan as primary heir to his empire – but was dealt a legal blow in the US by a $15billion courtroom battle with his three other adult children.
Nevada’s commissioner ruled an attempted amendment to the family’s trust opposed by James, Prudence and Elisabeth Murdoch was a ‘charade’ and made in ‘bad faith’.
Rupert had reportedly dubbed his plan to tip the scales in favour of Lachlan as ‘Project Family Harmony’, according to the Atlantic – only for it to prompt a major rift among relatives.
The proposed amendment to the trust would not change the division of company shares between his four children, but it was about the editorial control of the multibillion-dollar media empire, especially its crown jewel Fox News.
There is a clause that allows Mr Murdoch to amend the trust before his death so long as it is in the interests of his beneficiaries.
He and Lachlan last September sought to prove in sealed testimony that the latter’s more right-wing stance would better ensure the financial security of the businesses, while the rival three children including James are considered more left-wing.
Yet commissioner Edmund Gorman, in a sealed document seen by the New York Times, ruled against Rupert – with the mogul now said to be appealing the decision which still needs to be ratified by the Probate Court.
Eldest daughter Prudence, has had little involvement in the family business, but at various times the other three – Lachlan, James and Elisabeth – have all been considered as potential successors.
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch (left) is seen here with eldest son Lachlan in July 2015 in Idaho
In recent years though, Mr Murdoch senior had reportedly grown concerned that Fox News – the crown jewel of the collection – could drift from its lucrative right-wing moorings after his death, to reflect more centrist views of James and Elisabeth.
The family trust is said to contain stakes in companies worth $15billion (£12billion).
Under the terms of his 1999 divorce from his second wife, journalist Anna Murdoch Mann, Rupert Murdoch’s children were promised equal and ‘irrevocable’ influence in running his newspapers and television channels after his death, as well as equal financial benefit.
But Murdoch has since been trying to hand Lachlan the power to outvote his three siblings who have voting rights in the trust – 66-year-old Prudence, Elisabeth, 56, and James.
And James described to the Atlantic how during last year’s Reno court hearings Rupert showed little animation but occasionally lifted and typed into his mobile phone.
James said: ‘He was texting the lawyer questions to ask. How f***ing twisted is that?
James’s role within the family businesses had included serving as chief executive of BSkyB between 2003 and 2007 before becoming the firm’s non-executive chairman.
He was also executive chairman of News International from 2007 until February 2012 before quitting amid the phone-hacking scandal which prompted the Leveson inquiry into Press ethics – having announced the News of the World’s closure in June 2011.
Among the stars of HBO show Succession were Kieran Culkin (left) as Roman Roy, one of the sons of Logan Roy played by Brian Cox (right)
James has now told the Atlantic: ‘My father was always trying to pull everyone into the company so that he could manipulate them against each other.’
He described Rupert gathering his family in 2010 at an ancestral ranch in Cavan Station, Australia, for a counselling retreat with a therapist.
James has now said of their discussions: ‘It was a car crash – everyone was more alienated from each other at the end.’
He also described being shocked at being told in 2015 that Lachlan was returning from Australia to the US as chief executive of Fox and that James would report to him.
James, who had expected the role himself, says he responded: ‘No, I’m not going to do that.’
As it turned out, Lachlan instead became the firm’s non-executive chairman and James was put in joint charge alongside his father – but says he felt increasing misgivings.
These included concerns about the media empire’s support for Donald Trump, including after the US president spoke in 2017 of ‘very fine people’ at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia that developed into a protest by far-right groups.
Siblings Prudence (left), James (centre) and Elisabeth (right) Murdoch are seen attending a court hearing in Reno, Nevada, last September as part of the family trust dispute
Married couple James and Kathryn Murdoch are pictured here at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, California, in March last year
James’s wife Kathryn is reported to have asked him: ‘If you’re not going to stand up against Nazis, who are you going to stand up against?’
The younger Murdoch wrote in an email to friends, subsequently leaked to the media: ‘I can’t even believe I have to write this: standing up to Nazis is essential; there are no good Nazis.’
He encouraged others to donate to the Jewish group, the Anti-Defamation League, as he and his wife handed the organisation $1million.
And in the same year the couple set up their charity the Quadrivium Foundation in 2020, he also issued a statement criticising Murdoch outlets’ coverage of bushfires in Australia.
It said: ‘Kathryn and James’ views on climate are well established and their frustration with some of the News Corp and Fox coverage of the topic is also well known.
‘They are particularly disappointed with the ongoing denial among the news outlets in Australia given obvious evidence to the contrary.’
The intervention reportedly angered others on the News Corp board of directors and James resigned amid suggestions he could be voted off, the Atlantic reported.
James then opposed proposals by his father in 2022 to merge Fox and News Corp, when the four oldest children were asked to sign a letter backing the move, before the merger plan was abandoned in January 2023 amid criticism from shareholders.
Rupert Murdoch (seen outside the Reno court last September) had tried to entrench eldest son Lachlan as primary heir to his empire
The subsequent court case over Rupert’s plans to amend the family trust in favour of Lachlan pitted siblings against each other in court.
But James has told the Atlantic how he, Prudence and Elisabeth did try to build bridges last winter – writing to their father to say: ‘Thanksgiving and Christmas are upon us and the three of us wanted to reach out to you personally to say that we miss you and love you.
‘Over and above any other feelings all of us may have – of upset and shock – our unifying emotion is sorrow and grief.
‘We are asking you with love to find a way to put an end to this destructive judicial path so that we can have a chance to heal as a collaborative and loving family.’
Mr Murdoch senior is reported to have responded by saying he had reread the court testimony ‘only to conclude that I was right’ and saying further contact should be between their respective lawyers, adding: ‘Much love, Dad.’
The Atlantic quoted a spokesperson for Rupert and Lachlan as responding by calling new claims by James a ‘litany of falsehoods’ and which came ‘from someone who no longer works for the companies but still benefits from them financially’.
The article on the family in-fighting also suggests James and his wife Kathryn thought his sister Elisabeth had leaked some story ideas to the team behind Succession – though she is said to have denied this.
Showrunner Jesse Armstrong told the publication that he and fellow writers merely drew influences from media reports, adding: ‘I think there’s a bit of psychodrama around this sort of thing.’
