Media magnate Rupert Murdoch announced that he would be stepping down as the leader of both Fox News’ parent company and his News Corp media holdings — with his son, Lachlan, set to take his place.
Lachlan is set to become News Corp chairman and continue as chief executive officer of Fox Corp, home to Fox News, the Fox broadcast and sports networks.
While Rupert built his legacy pursuing the television, movie and newspaper businesses with equal abandon, Lachlan’s legacy is still taking shape.
Four papers a day before school
Born in London to Murdoch and his second wife, Anna, he grew up steeped in the media business.
He would spend his summer holidays working in the family business, cleaning the presses for Sydney’s Daily Mirror, or working as a cub reporter for the San Antonio Express-News.
In an interview with the ABC’s Dynasties, Lachlan said that before catching the bus to school, he and his siblings would read the morning papers — The New York Post, The New York Times, the Daily News and the Wall Street Journal.
He said his father would flag stories of interest, order: “Read that.”
From college graduate to News Corp
He entered the family business in 1994 after graduating from Princeton University, where he majored in philosophy.
He spent three years in Australia, ascending the corporate ladder to become chairman of News Limited.
In 1999, Lachlan assumed responsibility for print operations in the US.
In the same year, he also married British-Australian actress, model and TV presenter, Sarah O’Hare.
The couple have had two children together, Kalan and Aidan.
While serving as deputy chief operating officer from 2000 to 2005, his titles also included chairman of Fox Television Stations and publisher of the New York Post.
He rose to deputy chief operating officer at News Corp, overseeing the company’s US television stations group and publishing assets, including the New York Post.
Leaves family business, doubt cast over succession
He abruptly resigned in 2005, but remained on the board.
According to CNN, Lachlan temporarily left over a battle with former top executive Roger Ailes about the network’s direction.
During his hiatus, he founded private investment company Illyria Pty, a private investment company, whose acquisitions included a network of Australian radio stations.
Lachlan Murdoch left his role as chairman of television network Ten in 2014 and returned to the family business the next year.
When he returned he shared the title of co-chairman of 21st Century Fox with his brother, James.
His rise to the top
Lachlan has been Fox Corp chief executive since 2019, following Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox.
Since then he has presided over the media properties during seismic change in the industry, as viewers cut their paid TV subscriptions in favour of streaming services.
Tim Burrowes from Unmade Media told ABC News Breakfast he believed the move was about “solidifying Lachlan at the top of the company”.
“There is this expectation that when Rupert Murdoch eventually passes, the other adult children who are no longer in the business — James Murdoch, Elizabeth Murdoch and Prudence — might well then look to take the company in a much more dramatic different direction,” he said.
“But for now it feels like this is more of an evolution rather than something that will hugely change things in the coming days.”
How does his political views compare?
Lachlan doesn’t speak publicly about his politics.
According to an article in the New York Times magazine, which cited the 2016 memoir Making Headlines, by longtime editor of The Australian, Chris Mitchell, “Lachlan’s conservatism is more vigorous than that of any Australian politician”.
The memoir stated that his views were usually to the right of his father’s.
A Fox spokesperson called that “just speculation,” adding “it wouldn’t be fair to categorise him as a conservative.”
Don’t expect him to be as ‘hands-on’ as Rupert
The difference between Lachlan and his father is that he is less likely to intervene.
That’s according to author Paddy Manning who wrote Successor: The High-Stakes Life of Lachlan Murdoch.
“He is less of an editor-in-chief,” Manning told ABC News Breakfast.
“Rupert always could not help himself and was always endlessly fascinated and involved in media and politics, whether in the US, UK or Australia.
“Whereas Lachlan is more hands off and I think he thinks it is not his role to be making editorial decisions, certainly on a daily basis at Fox News.”
Virginia Tech communications professor Megan Duncan said it was unlikely there would be big changes at Fox as long as Rupert was still around as chairman emeritus, since he has long groomed Lachlan as his successor.
“He’s made sure that his son has been involved in the company all along,” she said. “And we know from his time in the company that (Lachlan’s) views are very similar and probably he’s not going to do a 180 with the company.”
ABC with wires