Rupert Murdoch has influenced every facet of our modern media. The scion of a newspaper baron in Australia, Murdoch built a vast empire that now spans the globe. In the US, he owns the Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and Fox News. He gave us The Simpsons, Page Six, and Bill O’Reilly.
And at 94 years old, he’s never been more powerful. Which is why a succession battle among his four oldest children had all the trappings of a Succession episode but with higher stakes — stakes such as: Who gets a direct line into Trump’s White House?
In a two-part series on Today, Explained, host Sean Rameswaram traces Murdoch’s rise across three continents and into the upper echelons of power.
Come for the ruthless power grabs, stay for the family drama at the center of the empire. Stories like these are made possible by our Vox Members. If you would like to support Vox’s independent journalism, please consider becoming a Vox Member today.
—Jolie Myers, deputy executive producer, Today, Explained
