Christmas is a time when families get together if they can - and, until this year, the Murdochs were no different. With members of the media dynasty spread across the globe, full family gatherings were rare, although in 2008, according to biographer Michael Wolff, the Murdochs spent the festive season together on a flotilla of private yachts.
But more often in recent years it was Rupert - for many decades the most influential media titan in the world - and his daughter Elisabeth who would make time for each other. She would certainly have room this year to host her father at the luxurious home she has renovated on the edge of the Cotswolds. But after a bruising closed-court battle in Nevada that became public and an eventual agreement that shut Elisabeth and two of her siblings out of the family firm for good, relations are likely still too strained for even the Murdoch family peacemaker to suggest communal tree-decorating.
Rupert's eldest child by his second wife, Elisabeth is the co-founder and executive chairman of the production company, Sister, which is behind hit television series, including Black Doves, The Split and This is Going To Hurt. In my experience, she is generous, intelligent and hard-working. Friends are fiercely loyal and protective of her privacy. Nobody I have spoken to has a bad word to say about her. Many acknowledge, though, that it has been an incredibly testing year on the family front - even if Elisabeth, her younger brother, James, and elder half-sister, Prudence, are each around a billion dollars richer.
James Murdoch's relationship with his father and older brother Lachlan appears irreconcilable. Earlier this year, he described his dad as a misogynist in an interview in US magazine The Atlantic, and referred to some of Rupert's behaviour in the courtroom fight as twisted. He is known to feel betrayed and angered by Rupert's decision to force him, Elisabeth and Prudence formally to cut ties with Fox Corp and News Corp.
Lachlan, who Rupert had already chosen to run the business, is now - definitively - the only one who will take the reins after his father's demise. Lachlan and Rupert Murdoch actually lost the first round of their court fight. The trust had been set up in 1999, when Rupert divorced Anna, the mother of Lachlan, Elisabeth and James. However, behind the scenes, the warring sides eventually came to an agreement. James, Elisabeth, and Prudence agreed to sell their shares. They have accepted terms that include not being allowed to buy any equity in the family company in future.
Media journalist Claire Atkinson suggests this family rift feels permanent, stating, these kids worked in the business, they grew up in the business, and the press release said, 'You can't buy shares in this company,' and effectively said, 'Don't let the door hit you on the way out.' Meanwhile, Lachlan stated that the resolution is good news for investors and assures a critical strategy going forward.
In the wake of this turmoil, Elisabeth and her half-sister Prudence are focused on moving on, aware of the limited time they have with their father, who turned 94 in March. Despite the issues, they hope to repair the rift with him at some point.
Given Rupert Murdoch's influential legacy, these family disputes raise questions about the future direction of their businesses, particularly Fox Corp under Lachlan's leadership. As the media landscape evolves amidst growing digital competition, only time will tell how this deeply divided family navigates the uncertain waters ahead.
