Last Thursday, Rupert Murdoch announced that he would be stepping down as chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corporation, marking the end of an era and the start of a new one for the billionaire media mogul and his family.
“For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change,” Australian-born Murdoch, 92, wrote in a six-paragraph memo to employees, as per CNN. The newly retired businessman continued, “But the time is right for me to take on different roles, knowing that we have truly talented teams.”
Murdoch’s empire spans across some of today’s most influential newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, The Times of London and tabloid New York Post, to name a few.
As reported by CNN, Rupert’s eldest son Lachlan is set to take over his dad’s role as the sole chairman of both companies.
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Here’s a who’s who of Rupert Murdoch’s kids, from eldest to youngest, including Lachlan, the new head of the empire.
1. Prudence Murdoch, 65
Although she has the same stake in the family trust as her half-siblings Lachlan, James and Elisabeth, Rupert’s first daughter is less involved in the family’s business compared to the rest of the Murdochs, per Time.
The 65-year-old daughter of Rupert and his first wife Patricia Booker stays relatively under the radar. She has been married twice, her current husband being Alasdair Macleod, and she has three kids. According to Time, she sat on the board of Times Newspapers, Ltd. for 12 years until 2022.
2. Elisabeth Murdoch, 55
Australian-born Elisabeth Murdoch is the eldest kid from Rupert’s marriage to Scottish journalist Anna Murdoch. The 55-year-old started her career at News Corp as a manager at her father’s FX Networks, per Independent.
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According to Time, she later launched her own production company Shine, which eventually got acquired by News Corp. In 2019, she co-founded another company called Sister. She’s been married three times with four kids and her current husband is artist Keith Tyson.
3. Lachlan Murdoch, 52
Lachlan, 52, is the eldest son to the mass media empire. Born in London, he studied in the US and graduated from Princeton University in 1994 before moving to Australia, per BBC. The same source states that he spent years away from his dad’s company after leaving in 2005, but returned in 2014.
He’s one of three kids from his dad’s second marriage to Anna. Lachlan is married to British actress and television presenter Sarah Murdoch (née O’Hare) and the couple have three kids, per the Independent.
4. James Murdoch, 50
James is the youngest kid from Rupert’s marriage to Anna, per the Independent. Also born in London, the 50-year-old heir was described as a rebel, per the same source, and is credited for sparking his dad’s early interest in the internet. He joined his father’s company in 1998 and moved to Hong Kong to help with Asian satellite service, Star Television, states Independent.
He later became a CEO at 21st Century Fox, but his tenure with the entertainment giant ended in 2019 when Disney acquired the company. James is married to Kathryn Hufschmid and they have three kids, per Independent.
5. Grace Murdoch, 22
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6. Chloe Murdoch, 20
Rupert’s other daughter with Deng, Chloe, is around 20 years old. According to her LinkedIn, she studies at Stanford University. Per Time, Grace and Chloe are beneficiaries of a substantial quantity of non-voting shares that are being held in a distinct trust.
The New York-raised heiresses count Australian celebs Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman as godparents, as previously reported.
