Behind closed doors in a Nevada courtroom, a high-stakes family dispute is unfolding concerning the future of Rupert Murdoch's media empire and a family trust valued at £14.9 billion. Specifically, the 93-year-old Murdoch faces off against three of his eldest children over who will inherit the majority voting rights and control of News Corp and Fox News after his death.

According to the BBC, Murdoch sought to amend the family trust, established in 1999, to ensure that his son Lachlan would gain control without interference from his siblings, Prudence, Elizabeth, and James.

Murdoch has a total of six children, two of whom—Grace and Chloe—do not hold voting rights in the trust. The family possesses eight votes on the boards of News Corp and Fox News, with Murdoch controlling four. Upon his death, these votes will be equally distributed among his four eldest children.

This case highlights the political differences within the powerful Murdoch family, with Lachlan aligning himself with his father's right-leaning politics, while his siblings are reportedly in opposition. The Nevada court will determine the fate of the empire, with the proceedings expected to last several days. The case could end in either a settlement or prolonged legal battles—an outcome many view as likely.

Who are the key players in this ongoing dispute?

Murdoch has been married five times, resulting in six children. Prudence is his eldest child from his marriage to his first wife, Patricia Booker. With his second wife, Anna Mann, whom he married from 1967 to 1999, the media mogul had Elizabeth, Lachlan, and James.

Later, with his third wife, Wendi Deng, he had Grace and Chloe. Their marriage lasted 14 years, from 1999 to 2013.

Three years after his divorce, Murdoch remarried, this time to model Jerry Hall, but the couple divorced in 2022.