The finale of the real-life Succession has concluded. Rupert Murdoch’s eldest son, Lachlan, will take control of his father’s company after his death, following the conclusion of a legal battle with his siblings Elisabeth, Prue and James. The trio have agreed to walk away in return for $1.1bn each, leaving Lachlan to continue running an empire that includes the Times, the Sun and Fox News.
Rupert, 94, feared the changes his less conservative children might make to the political direction of the titles, with disastrous financial repercussions. It’s said the final straw for Rupert came when James criticised “media property owners” that spread disinformation before 6 January Capitol attack. Rebekah Brooks, chief exec of News UK and one of Murdoch’s most trusted advisers, is believed to have been “furious” at James benefiting from his father’s wealth while attacking it.
Brooks, who was at the buy-out talks at New York’s Harvard Club, was among those heaving sighs of relief when the deal was finalised, fearing the Sun would have been first in the firing line had the more “woke” kids taken control.
There were more grounds for celebration in Murdoch world after documents were released that appear to prove the Wall Street Journal’s story about Donald Trump’s 50th birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump launched a $10bn lawsuit against the title after the story was published, and called the WSJ editor Emma Tucker, a Brit who formerly edited the Sunday Times, to say it was “false, malicious and defamatory”.
But after Democrats in Congress released copies of the so-called birthday book – including a note to Epstein written within the outline of a female body and with what appears to be Trump’s signature as pubic hair – it seems the legal case will be going nowhere. Murdoch allies say he may consider countersuing the president. But is the media mogul up for that fight? He has called Trump a “fucking idiot”, but on the other hand, Fox News took nearly three quarters of all US cable news audiences in the aftermath of Trump’s election victory.
Journalists at the Mirror, Express and regional titles owned by Reach are reeling after more than 600 jobs were put at risk of redundancy. The Mirror’s investigations editor and environment editor are supposedly among those at risk. Five of the paper’s 12 news reporters and dozens from print production may also go. “It’s carnage,” one insider said. “And for readers of the Mirror it means they will be getting the same pages as Express readers – titles which couldn’t be, or shouldn’t be, further apart.”
AI’s unrestrained march continues, with Trump bringing Sam Altman, head of Open AI, and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang with him for his state visit to Britain from 17-19 September. Brace yourselves for a string of business deals to be unveiled during the trip – which may be good for growth, but will inevitably bring yet more carnage for journalism and the creative industries.
All is not well between the Daily Mail’s grand dames. After columnist Nadine Dorries told the title she had jumped ship to Reform, denouncing the Tories as “dead”, colleague Sarah Vine sniffed: “Well, I’m sorry, Nadine, but I must respectfully disagree.” Vine, formerly married to Michael Gove, denounced Reform as “Pop-Tart politics”. The spat has provided much entertainment, but some staff believe it highlights a quandary for the title. “Will we come out for Reform? Well it’s looking very possible,” one said. “That would be the biggest coup for Farage yet.
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[See also: Will the Telegraph ever sell?]
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This article appears in the 10 Sep 2025 issue of the New Statesman, The Fight Back
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