James Murdoch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Murdoch
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Murdoch in 2008
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| Born |
James Rupert Jacob Murdoch
13 December 1972 |
| Citizenship |
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| Education | Harvard University (dropped out) |
| Board member of | Tesla, Inc. |
| Spouse(s) |
Kathryn Hufschmid
(m. 2000) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) |
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| Family | Murdoch |
James Rupert Jacob Murdoch (born 13 December 1972) is a businessman from both America and Britain. He is known as the younger son of famous media leader Rupert Murdoch. From 2015 to 2019, James was the chief executive officer (CEO) of a big company called 21st Century Fox.
Before that, he was in charge of News Corporation's businesses in Europe and Asia. This was until 2013, when News Corporation split into two new companies: News Corp and 21st Century Fox. He also used to be a director at News Corp.
James Murdoch was also the chairman and CEO of Sky plc in Europe and Asia until April 2012. In this role, he looked after major media groups like News International (which published The News of the World newspaper), Sky Italia, Sky Deutschland, and STAR TV.
From 2007, Murdoch was the executive chairman of News International. He also held a leadership role at British Sky Broadcasting, where News Corporation had a large share. In April 2012, he stepped down as chairman of BSkyB. This happened because of a controversy involving phone hacking, where he faced criticism. Later, he became chairman of Sky plc again after it joined with its Italian and German sister companies.
In July 2020, James Murdoch left the board of News Corp. He said this was because he disagreed with some of the news content and the company's plans.
In 2021, Murdoch started a new business in India called Lupa Systems India. He created this company with businessman Uday Shankar.
The Murdoch family has been involved in a court case in the US. James, his sister Elisabeth, and half-sister Prudence are challenging their father's wish to change the family trust. Their father, Rupert, wants his eldest son, Lachlan, to keep control of News Corp and Fox Corp. However, the original trust was set up to benefit all six of his children equally.
Contents
Early Life and Education
James Rupert Jacob Murdoch was born on 13 December 1972 in Wimbledon, London, England. He is the fourth of Rupert Murdoch's six children. His mother is Scottish-born journalist and author Anna Murdoch Mann. His full siblings are Elisabeth and Lachlan.
When he was young, James was seen as very smart but also a bit rebellious. He first gained public attention at age 15 while working at a newspaper in Sydney.
Murdoch went to Horace Mann School in New York City and finished in 1991. He then studied film and history at Harvard University. He left university in 1995 before finishing his degree. He then started a hip hop record label called Rawkus Records with his friends Brian Brater and Jarret Myer. News Corporation bought this company in 1998.
Business Career
In 1996, James Murdoch joined News Corporation. He became chairman of Festival Records. He also took charge of News Corporation's internet businesses. He invested in several online projects, including a financial website and an online music site.
He is known for getting his father interested in the internet. He even tried to convince his father to buy an internet company called PointCast.
In May 2000, Murdoch became chairman and chief executive of Star Television, an Asian satellite service that was losing money. He moved to Hong Kong for this role.
In February 2003, Murdoch became a director at BSkyB. Later that year, he became CEO of BSkyB. News Corporation owned a large part of BSkyB. Some people thought his appointment was unfair because he was young and seemed inexperienced for such a big job. They felt the job should have been open to other candidates.
After his brother Lachlan Murdoch left his executive roles at News Corporation in July 2005, James was seen as the likely person to take over from his father.
In December 2007, Murdoch stepped down as CEO of BSkyB. He was then appointed non-executive chairman of the company. This role was previously held by his father, Rupert.
At the same time, Murdoch also took charge of News Corporation's TV, newspaper, and digital businesses in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. This included companies like News International, Sky Italia, and STAR Group ltd. He worked from News International's main office in Wapping, East London.
In February 2009, Murdoch became a non-executive director at the British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline.
In August 2009, Murdoch gave a speech at the Edinburgh International Television Festival. He talked about his views on the BBC and the UK media regulator Ofcom. He said that the BBC's growth could harm other news providers. The BBC chairman, Sir Michael Lyons, responded by saying that the BBC's purpose is to educate and inform.
Until April 2012, he was the chairman and CEO of Sky plc in Europe and Asia. He oversaw companies like News International (which published The News of the World newspaper), Sky Italia, Sky Deutschland, and STAR TV.
He was executive chairman of News International from 2007 until February 2012. He had also been a non-executive chairman at British Sky Broadcasting. In April 2012, he resigned as chairman of BSkyB due to the ongoing phone hacking controversy, in which he was involved.
In June 2015, his father, Rupert, announced that he would leave his CEO position at 21st Century Fox. James then took over as CEO.
In January 2016, Murdoch became the chairman of Sky, a major British TV broadcaster.
In July 2017, Murdoch joined the board of Tesla as an independent director.
In October 2018, Murdoch left Sky after another company, Comcast, took control of it.
In March 2019, 21st Century Fox was sold to The Walt Disney Company. This marked the end of Murdoch's time as CEO there.
Murdoch was a director of News Corp in August 2019. In July 2020, he resigned from the board. He stated that his resignation was due to disagreements over some news content published by the company and other business decisions. He also criticized how some Australian news outlets denied the importance of climate change, especially after the severe 2019–20 Australian bushfire season.
In 2021, Murdoch started Lupa Systems India, a joint venture with businessman Uday Shankar. This company focuses on media, education, and healthcare in Asia, especially India. In May 2022, Lupa India (renamed Bodhi Tree Systems) invested in a company called Allen Career Institute Private Limited. In April 2023, Bodhi Tree also bought a share in Viacom18, a media and entertainment company owned by Reliance Industries.
Family Court Case
In September 2024, the Murdoch family was involved in a court case in Reno, Nevada. James, his sister Elisabeth, and half-sister Prudence MacLeod are challenging their father's attempt to change the family trust. Rupert Murdoch wants his eldest son, Lachlan, to keep control of News Corp and Fox Corp. However, the original trust was set up to give all six of his children an equal say in the business after his death.
The family trust was created after Rupert and Anna Murdoch's divorce in 1999. It holds the family's share in News Corp. This trust only involves the children born before 1999, giving them equal say in the future of the business. Rupert's younger children, Grace and Chloe, from his third marriage, will not have a say in the business, but they will share in the money from the stock. Rupert Murdoch argues that if his other children interfere, it could cause financial losses for Fox. He believes that keeping the company's conservative editorial stance would protect its value.
This court case has caused a strain in the relationship between the three children and their father. None of them attended his wedding to his fifth wife, Elena Zhukova, in June 2024.
Personal Life and Other Activities
James Murdoch is a British citizen by birth and also a US citizen. Besides his full siblings Elisabeth and Lachlan, he has an older half-sister, Prudence, and two younger half-sisters, Grace and Chloe, from his father's third marriage.
Murdoch helped create Sky Procycling, a professional cycling team, and he enjoys cycling himself. He also has a black belt in karate.
Murdoch married Kathryn Hufschmid in 2000. They have three children: Anneka, Walter, and Emerson. Kathryn works for the Clinton Climate Initiative, a charity started by former U.S. president, Bill Clinton.
Since 2014, James and Kathryn have run the Quadrivium Foundation. This foundation supports projects that solve problems at their root and create many good outcomes. It focuses on five main areas: democracy, technology and society, scientific understanding, climate change, and the health of the world's oceans.
Murdoch has given money to the Clinton Foundation, a non-profit organization.
In 2020, Murdoch and his wife each donated money to the Biden campaign. In September 2024, he was one of many American business leaders who signed an open letter supporting vice-president Kamala Harris for president.
He has openly criticized Fox News for promoting false claims about the 2020 election.
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See also
In Spanish: James Murdoch para niños
