Liberal-leaning James left the family business over editorial and political differences and there may be a rift. “Who knows which way Prudence or Elizabeth will go,” said another analyst. “They could put the company up for auction.”
That may be one reason Murdoch attempted unsuccessfully last year to merge News Corp. and Fox. The bigger the company, the tougher it is to sell. A new book on the Murdochs by Michael Wolff out on Sept. 26 delves into the clan dynamics of the family, said to have inspired HBO’sMeanwhile, Lachlan has a company to run. “I doubt he would be CEO if Rupert Murdoch wan’t his father,” said one analyst, stating the obvious. But, in his time at Fox, he’s delivered on live news and sports, the two most coveted landing spots in the media ecosystem now. He acquired Tubi, which is powering ahead, approaching $1 billion in revenue.