Rupert Murdoch takes on new role as chairman emeritus of News Corp and Fox

September 21, 2023

Rupert Murdoch is taking on a new role at both News Corp and Fox as his son, Lachlan Murdoch becomes sole chair of both media giants, the companies said Thursday.

The Australian-born media tycoon — who has spent nearly seven decades building a pair of powerhouses that have transformed their industries — will be officially named chairman emeritus of each company at the next shareholders meeting in mid-November, the companies said in a statement.

Lachlan, 52, will succeed his 92-year-old father as the sole chair of News Corp and the executive chair and chief of Fox, according to the companies.

“For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change,” Rupert Murdoch told colleagues in a Thursday morning memo to his workforce of 35,000.

“But the time is right for me to take on different roles, knowing that we have truly talented teams and a passionate, principled leader in Lachlan who will become sole Chairman of both companies.”

Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch pictured together in October 2021, when Fox News celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Murdoch at the printing presses of the New York Post, which is owned by News Corp.

Lachlan congratulated his father “on his remarkable 70-year career.”

“We thank him for his vision, his pioneering spirit, his steadfast determination, and the enduring legacy he leaves to the companies he founded and countless people he has impacted. We are grateful that he will serve as Chairman Emeritus and know he will continue to provide valued counsel to both companies,” Lachlan added.

Lachlan, as the new boss at two of the most recognizable media companies in the world, will oversee Fox and News Corp’s far-reaching portfolio, which includes The Post — a legacy that Murdoch established in Australia in 1952 when he inherited his father’s Adelaide newspaper, The News.

Lachlan pictured at The Post's printing plant in The Bronx in 2002. — Lachlan pictured at The Post’s printing plant in The Bronx in 2002.

“My father firmly believed in freedom, and Lachlan is absolutely committed to the cause,” Murdoch wrote. “Self-serving bureaucracies are seeking to silence those who would question their provenance and purpose. Elites have open contempt for those who are not members of their rarefied class. Most of the media is in cahoots with those elites, peddling political narratives rather than pursuing the truth.”

“Our companies are in robust health, as am I. Our opportunities far exceed our commercial challenges,” the media mogul added.

“In my new role, I can guarantee you that I will be involved every day in the contest of ideas.”