RENO, Nev. — A Nevada court will examine evidence behind closed doors in a case that could determine who will control Rupert Murdoch’s media empire after his death.
Murdoch, 93, arrived at court Monday for the hearing. Last year, he changed the terms of his irrevocable family trust in an effort to ensure that his eldest son, Lachlan, remains in charge of his cadre of newspapers and television networks, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News Channel. reporting by The New York Times based on a sealed court document.
Evidence hearings in the case are expected to last until Tuesday next week. The court has kept the hearings closed to the public and sealed most of the documents, largely denying access requests from news organizations including The Associated Press.
The trust was originally created to give equal control of Rupert Murdoch’s companies to his four eldest children after his death, the Times said.
Murdoch resigned last fall as leader of both Fox News’ parent company and his media interests in News Corp. He argues that to preserve the commercial value of his company for all his heirs, the trust must be changed so that Lachlan can ensure his newspapers and TV networks continue to have a conservative editorial view, the Times reported.
Lachlan succeeded his father as chairman of News Corp in November. He is also an executive officer at Fox Corp., home of the conservative news network Fox News, the Fox broadcast and sports networks and local TV stations. The media empire spans continents and has helped shape modern American politics.
Rupert Murdoch’s attempt to change the trust has pitted him against his other three children named as beneficiaries: James, Elisabeth and Prudence, and they have banded together to prevent their father from overhauling the trust, the Times said.
Irrevocable trusts are typically used to limit estate taxes, among other things, and cannot be changed without the consent of the beneficiaries or by court order.
Nevada Probate Commissioner Edmund J. Gorman of the Second Judicial District Court in Reno ruled this summer that Rupert Murdoch could modify the trust if he could show he acted in good faith and solely for the benefit of his heirs, the Times reported.
The court ruling notes that Murdoch wanted to give Lachlan permanent and exclusive control over his companies because the mogul feared that a lack of consensus among his children could influence the strategic direction of his companies, potentially leading to a change in editorial policy and content. , the Times report said.
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Associated Press writer Alex Veiga in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
