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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Business
Luca Ittimani

‘Petty grievances’ and an alleged troublemaker: unsealed Murdoch court documents give rare glimpse into bitter succession battle

Lachlan, Rupert and James Murdoch
Lachlan, Rupert and James Murdoch in 2016. A crucial decision by a Nevada judicial officer in late 2024, recently made public, exposes friction among Murdoch’s heirs. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters

A year ago, Rupert Murdoch resolved the long-running fight over which of his children would control his sprawling media empire, ending a bitter legal battle and anointing his eldest son, Lachlan, as his successor.

Now, court documents have offered a rare glimpse into the family’s clashes before the decision, revealing the patriarch’s view of son James as a troublemaker who had to be ousted from the business and detailing tensions between Murdoch’s four eldest children and their airing of “petty grievances” about their father.

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