Who Is the Murdoch Family? All About the Real-Life People Who Inspired “Succession”

Following a yearslong battle, nan Murdoch family has yet decided who will beryllium media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's successor.

On Sept. 8, 2025, nan Murdoch family announced that older boy Lachlan had completed an statement to power their blimpish media empire erstwhile patriarch Rupert — who is now successful his 90s — dies, according to The New York Times. The woody is reportedly weighted astatine $3.3 billion.

Rupert has been joined 5 times and has six children pinch 3 of his wives: Prudence (with his first woman Patricia Booker); Elisabeth, Lachlan and James (with his 2nd woman Anna Torv); and Chloe and Grace (with his 3rd wife, Wendi Deng). After divorcing his 4th wife, Jerry Hall, successful August 2022, nan media tycoon announced his engagement to Ann Lesley Smith connected March 20, 2023 (the brace called disconnected their engagement conscionable a fewer weeks later). He wed for nan 5th time connected June 1, 2024, to Elena Zhukova, a retired scientist.

Lachlan first began moving nan family business successful September 2023, erstwhile Rupert stepped down arsenic president of Fox Corp. and News Corp. The family's empire and dynamics are what inspired nan celebrated HBO bid Succession, pinch nan Roy family based connected nan Murdochs.

After stepping down arsenic chairman, Rupert requested that nan Murdoch family trust, which dates backmost to 1999, beryllium amended to springiness Lachlan full power and voting powerfulness without his siblings' interference upon his death. As a result, a fierce court battle betwixt Rupert and 3 of his children — Prudence, Elisabeth and James — began.

When nan family announced that nan ineligible conflict had travel to an extremity complete a twelvemonth later successful September 2025, Lachlan was confirmed to return over, pinch nan different 3 siblings receiving $1.1 cardinal each for each their shares successful nan empire. A caller Murdoch family spot will beryllium created for Lachlan and younger sisters Grace and Chloe, and will stay progressive until 2050, per The New York Times.

From aggregate marriages to media moves and galore grandchildren, here's everything to cognize astir nan powerful Murdoch family and their analyzable dynamics.

Rupert Murdoch

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch was calved connected March 11, 1931, successful Australia. His business empire began erstwhile he was conscionable 22 years aged and his father, Sir Keith Murdoch, unexpectedly died. Upon his death, Rupert inherited a mini Australian newspaper, The News, successful 1952.

"My motives were to create a awesome paper," Rupert recalled to The Australian successful 2014. "It was my father's dream. He talked to maine astir this arsenic a teenager."

From there, Rupert spent overmuch of nan 1950s and '60s expanding his newspaper business, acquiring papers passim Australia and New Zealand. By nan mid-1970s, he had purchased awesome newspapers successful some nan United Kingdom and nan United States, including News of nan World, The Sun, nan San Antonio Express-News and nan New York Post.

"Why americium I successful papers? I conscionable emotion it," he told The Village Voice soon aft purchasing nan Post.

But Rupert didn't limit himself to conscionable newspapers. Over nan pursuing decades, he grew News Corporation to see television, movie and publishing companies — including book patient HarperCollins, movie workplace Twentieth Century Fox and The Wall Street Journal. By 2009, it was 1 of nan largest media companies successful nan world, according to Fortune.

However, his 70-plus years successful nan media manufacture were not without controversy. In 2011, his British tabloid News of nan World was unopen down pursuing a phone-hacking scandal, which led to Rupert facing constabulary and authorities investigations successful some Britain and nan U.S. In 2016, Rupert's web Fox News was plagued by intersexual harassment claims, resulting successful CEO Roger Ailes stepping down and Rupert taking complete arsenic president and CEO.

In his individual life, Rupert has been joined 5 times. His first matrimony came successful 1956 to Patricia Booker, an hose hostess from Adelaide, Australia. They had 1 kid (Prudence) and were divided by 1967. The aforesaid year, he wed Anna Torv, a journalist astatine his Sydney newspaper The Daily Mirror. The mates were joined for much than 30 years and had 3 children: Elisabeth, Lachlan and James. Rupert and Anna divorced successful 1999. His 3rd woman was Wendi Deng; they were joined from 1999 to 2013 and had 2 daughters, Grace and Chloe.

Murdorch married for nan 4th time successful March 2016 to supermodel Jerry Hall. They were joined for six years and divorced successful August 2022.

"They stay bully friends and wish each different nan champion for nan future," Rupert's attorney, Robert S. Cohen, and Hall's attorney, Judith L. Poller, said successful a statement. According to Vanity Fair, nan divorcement colony specifically stated that Hall couldn't supply communicative ideas to nan writers connected Succession.

He was later engaged to erstwhile constabulary chaplain Ann Lesley Smith. However, they divided conscionable weeks later, pinch a root adjacent to Rupert telling PEOPLE successful April 2023 that they had called disconnected their engagement.

In June 2024, Rupert wed Elena Zhukova, a retired intelligence whom he reportedly met done his 3rd wife, Deng. The ceremonial reportedly took spot astatine Rupert's California vineyard and estate, Moraga.

Prudence MacLeod

Prudence Murdoch MacLeod, aliases Prue, is Rupert's eldest kid — and only kid from his first matrimony to Booker. She was calved successful 1958 successful Australia but erstwhile her parents divorced, Prue requested to unrecorded pinch her begetter and his caller wife, Anna Torv, claims an excerpt from nan 2008 book by Michael Wolff, The Man Who Owns nan News: Inside nan Secret World of Rupert Murdoch, which was published successful Vanity Fair. She moved pinch them to London and later New York, wherever she attended precocious school.

Prue concisely worked for 1 of her father's papers, News of nan World, but hasn't ever gotten on pinch him. After a 1997 property conference, wherever Rupert referred to his "three children" (omitting Prue), nan 2 had "the biggest statement I've ever had," she shared successful 1 of her only nationalist interviews.

"I rang up, I screamed astatine him, I hung up. He was very upset," she continued. "He past sent nan biggest bunch of flowers — it was bigger than a sofa — and 2 clementine trees."

The eldest Murdoch kid has been joined twice: First, successful 1986, to Crispin Odey, a London hedge money manager. They divided a twelvemonth later successful 1987. She past joined Alasdair MacLeod successful 1989, who went connected to activity for Rupert contempt Prudence's disapproval, per Wolff.

Prudence and Alasdair unrecorded successful Sydney and person 3 children: James, Angus and Clementine.

Elisabeth Murdoch

Rupert's first kid pinch his 2nd wife, Anna, is girl Elisabeth. Born connected Aug. 22, 1968, successful Sydney, Australia, she was reportedly named aft her grandma — Rupert's mother — Dame Elisabeth Murdoch. Elisabeth spent her puerility increasing up successful N.Y.C., minus a little stint astatine boarding schoolhouse successful Australia, per Wolff's book.

After attending Vassar College, Elisabeth held a bid of jobs wrong her father's company, including managing head astatine BSkyB, nan British broadcasting company. But she besides had ventures of her own: First owning a brace of NBC-affiliate stations successful California and later, successful 2001, launching an independent tv institution called Shine, which produced celebrated reality shows for illustration The Biggest Loser and MasterChef.

"I wanted my ain business. I felt I could execute a awesome woody moreover if it was bloody scary astatine nan time," she told The Guardian in March 2010.

Shine was purchased by her father's News Corporation successful 2011 successful a woody worthy $674 million, according to Variety. Elisabeth took a spot connected nan committee astatine News Corp. pursuing nan acquisition, but successful 2019, she branched retired connected her ain again pinch nan motorboat of Sister, an intermezo accumulation company, per the Los Angeles Times. The accumulation institution is responsible for shows including HBO's Chernobyl and nan BBC play Broadchurch.

"You'd emotion your parents to beryllium proud of you," she told The New Yorker successful December 2012. "Each clip I tried to activity successful his company, he wasn't impressed. I realized I had to conscionable spell and beryllium myself."

In her individual life, Elisabeth has been joined 3 times and has 4 children. Her first matrimony was to chap Vassar postgraduate Elkin Pianim successful 1993, per The New York Times; nan mates had 2 daughters, Cornelia and Anna.

After their divorcement successful 1998, she wed British PR executive Matthew Freud successful 2001. They besides had 2 children together — Charlotte and Samson — and divided successful 2014. In 2017, Elisabeth married for a 3rd time to creator Keith Tyson.

Lachlan Murdoch

Rupert welcomed his first boy pinch Anna, Lachlan, connected Sept. 8, 1971, successful London. He grew up successful N.Y.C. and attended a assortment of backstage schools earlier heading to Princeton University, wherever he studied philosophy. Right away, he began to activity for his father, managing newspapers successful Australia and nan U.S. earlier being named nan lawman main operating serviceman astatine News Corp. successful 2000.

But akin to his large sister Elisabeth, Lachlan besides wanted to beryllium himself extracurricular of nan family business. In 2005, he near News Corp. and moved to Australia to motorboat his ain firm, Illyria, which invested successful failing power stations and revived them.

"In life, you backmost yourself," Lachlan told Business Insider successful May 2021 astir his determination to measurement retired connected his own. "Can you abstracted from nan institution and nan broader family and a batch of your colleagues and spell retired connected your ain and build your ain business and return a batch of risk?"

He continued, "It gives you a batch of assurance … that you succeeded extracurricular nan institution you grew up in."

In 2014, Lachlan returned to nan family business arsenic nan non-executive co-chairman of News Corp. and 21st Century Fox, according to Bloomberg. A twelvemonth later, he became nan executive president astatine 21st Century Fox, and by 2019, he was named nan president and CEO astatine Fox, per The Hollywood Reporter.

When Lachlan was announced arsenic his father's successor successful September 2023, he thanked Rupert successful a media statement, saying, "We convey him for his imagination and his pioneering spirit, his patient determination and nan enduring bequest he leaves astatine nan companies he founded and countless group he has impacted."

He was confirmed to stay successful power of nan family's media empire successful September 2025, and is portion of a caller family spot that expires successful 2050.

Lachlan has been joined to Australian exemplary Sarah O'Hare since 1998. They person since welcomed 3 children: sons Kalan and Aidan and girl Aerin.

James Murdoch

James Murdoch, Rupert's 3rd kid pinch Anna and 4th overall, had a much rebellious commencement to his profession than his older siblings. Born connected Dec. 13, 1972, successful London, James attended Harvard University earlier dropping retired to motorboat his ain hip-hop grounds explanation called Rawkus Records, per Wolff's book. The explanation counted Mos Def and Eminem arsenic immoderate of its artists earlier being acquired by News Corp. successful 1998, per nan BBC.

Following that acquisition, James would walk nan adjacent two-plus decades moving for his father, yet becoming lawman COO of News Corp. successful 2011 and CEO of 21st Century Fox successful 2015. But by 2019, James began to region himself from nan family business — first leaving nan apical occupation astatine Fox erstwhile it was sold to Disney successful 2019 and past publically resigning from News Corp. successful 2020.

"My resignation is owed to disagreements complete definite editorial contented published by nan Company's news outlets and definite different strategical decisions," he said successful a statement astatine nan time, according to The New York Times.

James and his woman Kathryn, who joined successful 2000, tally nan instauration Quadrivium, which has supported causes including elector participation, populist betterment and ambiance alteration initiatives, according to The New York Times.

James is besides well-known for being overmuch much wide than his blimpish family. "We've been arguing astir authorities since I was a teenager," he told The New York Times astir his father.

James and Kathryn are nan parents of 3 children: daughters Anneka and Emerson, and boy Walter.

Grace Murdoch

Born connected Nov. 19, 2001, Grace Helen Murdoch is Rupert's first kid pinch Wendi Deng (and his 5th overall). She grew up successful N.Y.C. and attended nan Brearley School, wherever she graduated from successful June 2020, according to her Instagram. Grace graduated from Yale University successful 2025, per nan school.

Grace appears to person a adjacent narration pinch her billionaire father. "My favourite person," she captioned a bid of photos of them together connected Instagram, which has since been made private.

"I americium truthful fortunate to beryllium your daughter," Grace wrote on her societal media connected his 90th birthday.

Chloe Murdoch

Rupert's youngest kid (and 2nd pinch Wendi) is girl Chloe, who was calved connected July 17, 2003. Chloe grew up successful N.Y.C. pinch her older sister and presently attends Stanford University.

Despite having 2 nationalist figures for parents, Chloe leads a comparatively backstage life. She has nary public-facing societal media accounts, only occasionally appearing connected her mother's Instagram.

"You ever were nan cutest child, but now you are nan astir awesome 18 twelvemonth daughter," Wendi wrote on her 18th day successful July 2021.

A twelvemonth prior, she described Chloe arsenic "beautiful, incredible, unique" successful a separate Instagram post.