Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch is giving up his positions as the Chair of Fox Corporation and the Executive Chairman of affiliated company News Corp, transitioning into the role of Chairman Emeritus.
The announcement was made in a letter sent to his colleagues on Thursday morning, in which the 92-year-old said his son Lachlan Murdoch will be succeeding him in both roles. He also noted that the change is not due to health reasons. The transition will happen in November.
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I am writing to let you all know that I have decided to transition to the role of Chairman Emeritus at Fox and News. For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change. 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. Neither excessive pride nor false humility are admirable qualities. But I am truly proud of what we have achieved collectively through the decades, and I owe much to my colleagues, whose contributions to our success have sometimes been unseen outside the company but are deeply appreciated by me.
Whether the truck drivers distributing our papers, the cleaners who toil when we have left the office, the assistants who support us or the skilled operators behind the cameras or the computer code, we would be less successful and have less positive impact on society without your day-after-day dedication. Our companies are in robust health, as am I. Our opportunities far exceed our commercial challenges. We have every reason to be optimistic about the coming years—I certainly am, and plan to be here to participate in them.
Murdoch also underscored his and his family’s continued commitment to the cause of free speech, criticizing legacy media outlets and elite forces that aim to push political narratives over empirical reporting. “In my new role, I can guarantee you that I will be involved every day in the contest of ideas,” he wrote.
His son Lachlan put out a statement congratulating Murdoch “on his remarkable 70-year career,” thanking him for his “vision” and commending his legacy while welcoming future counsel from his father’s emeritus role.
Lachlan is the more ideologically faithful of Murdoch’s sons, and according to some is even more right-leaning than his father. James and his wife Kathryn are known for their liberal beliefs, being significant donors to pro-Democratic, voter mobilization, and climate organizations. Kathyrn played a major role in the financing of the vote by mail project conducted during the 2020 presidential election.
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