For more than seven decades, Rupert Murdoch, the subject of Netflix’s Dynasty: The Murdochs, built one of the most powerful media empires in the world. The Australian businessman transformed a single family newspaper into a vast global network of newspapers, television channels and media companies that came to shape politics, culture and public discourse across multiple countries. That empire includes outlets such as Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and The Sun, alongside the companies that now structure the family’s holdings, News Corp and Fox Corporation.

As Murdoch grew older, however, another story began to unfold behind the scenes. The question of who would eventually inherit control of the empire became a source of tension within the Murdoch family itself, evolving into a years-long battle that mixed corporate strategy, personal rivalry and legal disputes.

That saga is now revisited in Dynasty: The Murdochs, a documentary now available on Netflix that retraces both the rise of Murdoch’s empire and the family conflict that ultimately determined its future.

How Rupert Murdoch Built His Empire

The story begins in 1952. That year, Rupert Murdoch was just 22 years old when he inherited The News, a newspaper published in Adelaide, following the death of his father, Keith Murdoch. The publication was relatively small, but Murdoch quickly began expanding the business. His strategy focused on acquiring struggling newspapers and transforming them into mass-market publications capable of reaching large audiences. Many of the titles he purchased were turned into tabloids with punchier headlines and a stronger focus on popular news.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Murdoch consolidated his influence in Australia before beginning to expand internationally. One of his first major moves abroad came in 1969 when he purchased the British tabloid The Sun. Under his leadership, the paper was dramatically reshaped and became one of the best-selling newspapers in the United Kingdom.

Murdoch later acquired the historic The Times and The Sunday Times, strengthening his position in the British media landscape.

Entering the American Media Market

Murdoch entered the United States media industry in 1976 when he purchased the New York Post. The acquisition marked the beginning of his expansion into what would become the central market of his media empire. In the 1980s, Murdoch launched the Fox Broadcasting Company, establishing a new television network that quickly grew into a major competitor to America’s traditional broadcast giants.

Another defining moment came in 1996 with the launch of Fox News. The cable channel rapidly became one of the most influential news networks in the United States and helped cement the political influence of Murdoch’s media holdings.

In the years that followed, the empire continued to expand, including the acquisition of the highly influential financial newspaper The Wall Street Journal.

The Murdoch Succession Structure

Rupert Murdoch had six children across his first three marriages. Among them, four eventually played significant roles in the family business: Prudence MacLeod, Elisabeth Murdoch, James Murdoch and Lachlan Murdoch.

To ensure that control of the companies would remain within the family after his death, Murdoch established a governance structure known as the Murdoch Family Trust. Under the arrangement, Rupert Murdoch and his four eldest children would each hold voting rights over the future of the empire. While the structure appeared balanced on paper, it also created the potential for internal conflict.

The Rivalry Between James and Lachlan Murdoch

Over time, the succession battle increasingly centered on two brothers: James and Lachlan. James Murdoch built much of his career overseeing international operations within the company. He played a role in expanding the business in Asia and helped manage television assets in Europe. In later years he began advocating for corporate governance reforms and often appeared more moderate in his views regarding the editorial direction of some Murdoch outlets.

Lachlan Murdoch, meanwhile, was widely viewed as the son most closely aligned with Rupert Murdoch’s vision for the company and its editorial stance. Their differences became increasingly visible during several crises that affected the Murdoch media empire.

Scandals and a Growing Family Divide

In 2011, the British tabloid News of the World, then part of the Murdoch media group, became embroiled in a major phone-hacking scandal. Investigations revealed that journalists had illegally accessed voicemail messages belonging to celebrities, politicians and even victims of crime. The controversy ultimately led to the closure of the newspaper and triggered a parliamentary inquiry in the United Kingdom.

During the hearings, James Murdoch played a central role in defending the company and responding to lawmakers. The episode intensified tensions within the family and highlighted divisions over how the empire should be run.

In 2020, James Murdoch resigned from the board of News Corp, citing disagreements over editorial decisions and the strategic direction of the company.

The Legal Fight for Control

As Rupert Murdoch entered his nineties, the issue of succession became increasingly urgent. Reports emerging from legal filings suggested that Murdoch feared some of his children might attempt to shift the political positioning of key media outlets after his death.

The dispute eventually reached a probate court in Nevada in the United States. The legal proceedings exposed years of internal tensions and disagreements about who should ultimately control the Murdoch Family Trust and the empire it governed.

Who Won the Murdochs Succession Battle

The long-running succession battle concluded in 2025 with a major financial agreement that reshaped control of the Murdoch dynasty. In a deal reportedly worth around five billion dollars, Lachlan Murdoch purchased the shares held by his siblings James Murdoch, Elisabeth Murdoch and Prudence MacLeod. Each reportedly received approximately 1.1 billion dollars in exchange for their stakes.

The agreement effectively dissolved the original Murdoch Family Trust structure and transferred voting control directly to Lachlan. Rupert Murdoch’s two youngest daughters, Grace Murdoch and Chloe Murdoch, were also incorporated into the revised ownership structure.

With that deal, Lachlan Murdoch emerged as the clear successor to his father’s media empire, bringing an end to one of the most closely watched succession battles in the global media industry.