Lachlan Murdoch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lachlan Murdoch
Murdoch in 2013
Born	Lachlan Keith Murdoch (1971-09-08) 8 September 1971 (age 53) London, England
Nationality	Australia (from father) US (naturalised) UK (by birthplace)
Education	Princeton University (BA)
Occupation	Executive chairman, Nova Entertainment Executive chairman and CEO, Fox Corporation Executive chairman, News Corp
Years active	1994−present
Spouse(s)	Sarah O'Hare ​ (m. 1999)​
Children	3
Parents	Rupert Murdoch (father) Anna Torv (mother)
Family	Murdoch family

Lachlan Keith Murdoch (/lɒklən/; born 8 September 1971) is a well-known American and Australian businessman. He is part of the famous Murdoch family, who own many media companies. Lachlan is the son of Rupert Murdoch, a very powerful media owner.

Today, Lachlan is the executive chairman of Nova Entertainment, a radio company. He is also the chairman of News Corp and the executive chairman and CEO of Fox Corporation. These are two huge media companies. In 2023, he was one of Australia's richest people. His wealth was about A$3.35 billion (US$2.1 billion).

The Murdoch family is currently involved in a court case in the US. Lachlan's siblings, James, Elisabeth, and Prudence, are challenging their father's plan. This plan would make sure Lachlan keeps control of News Corp and Fox Corp.

Early Life and Education

Lachlan Murdoch was born in London, England, on September 8, 1971. He is the oldest son of Rupert Murdoch and his second wife, Anna Maria dePeyster. When he was three, his family moved to New York City. His father owned the New York Post newspaper there.

Lachlan went to several schools. He studied at Aspen Country Day School in Colorado. Then he attended Dalton School and Trinity School in New York City. Later, he went to Phillips Academy in Massachusetts.

In 1989, he took a year off before college, called a gap year. During this time, he worked for three months in Sydney, Australia. He did a simple job for his family's newspaper business, the Daily Mirror.

In 1994, he finished his studies at Princeton University. He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy.

Career in Media

Starting at News Corp (1995–2005)

When Lachlan was 22 or 23, he started working for his family's business. He became the general manager of Queensland Newspapers in Australia. This company published the Courier-Mail newspaper. He also became friends with James Packer, another son of a media owner.

Later, Lachlan became the publisher of The Australian, Australia's first national newspaper. In 1995, he became deputy CEO of News Limited in Australia. A year later, in 1996, he joined the main News Corporation board.

After getting married in 1999, he took on more important roles. In 2000, he became deputy chief operating officer for News Corp's global newspaper businesses. He also oversaw HarperCollins publishing and other Australian businesses like REA. He was on the board of Foxtel and chairman of Fox Television stations. He was also the publisher of the New York Post, where its sales grew a lot.

Lachlan also helped News Corp invest in REA Group. This company later became Realestate.com.au, a very successful online real estate advertising business in Australia.

In July 2005, Lachlan, then 33, suddenly left News Corp. He had a disagreement with Roger Ailes, who was in charge of Fox News. His father sided with Ailes. At that time, Lachlan was one of the most powerful executives in the company. The media wondered if his brother, James Murdoch, would take over from their father.

New Investments (2005–2014)

After leaving News Corp, Lachlan started his own company in Australia in 2005. It was called Illyria Pty Ltd. He invested in many different businesses. These included the Indian Premier League cricket team Rajasthan Royals and the online DVD rental company Quickflix.

In 2009, Illyria bought half of a radio network called DMG Radio. This company was later renamed Nova Entertainment, and Lachlan became its chairman. In 2012, Illyria bought the rest of the shares. Nova Entertainment then became a top radio network in Australia.

In 2010, Lachlan also invested in Network Ten, a TV company. He became acting CEO of Ten Network Holdings in 2011. Later, in 2012, he became the non-executive chairman. Network Ten faced financial problems, and Lachlan lost his investment when the company went into administration in 2017.

Back to News Corp (2014)

In March 2014, Lachlan returned to the family business. He was made non-executive co-chairman of News Corp and 21st Century Fox. This move was seen as a way to prepare him to take over the media empire. This happened after a phone hacking scandal in the UK and his father's divorce.

In June 2015, he became the executive chairman of 21st Century Fox. After Disney bought 21st Century Fox in 2019, Lachlan became the chairman and CEO of the new Fox Corporation. His father named him as the person to take over his business interests.

In 2022, Lachlan and his father wanted to combine News Corp and Fox Corp. However, his brother James and other major shareholders did not agree. So, the plan was stopped the next year.

Taking Over from His Father (2023)

In September 2023, when Rupert Murdoch retired, Lachlan Murdoch took over. At 52 years old, he became the leader of his father's media group. He is now the chair of both Fox Corp and News Corp.

In July 2024, Lachlan Murdoch gave an interview. He said that he believes his company's role is very important in Australia, Britain, and the United States. He feels it is their job to help shape public discussions.

As of September 2024, Lachlan is the executive chair and CEO of Fox Corporation. He is also the chair of News Corp and executive chairman of Nova Entertainment.

Other Activities

In 2002, Lachlan Murdoch gave the Andrew Olle Media Lecture. This is a special speech about media in Australia.

Murdoch is also one of the founding supporters of an organization called "Advance." This group helps young Australian professionals in America.

Personal Life

Lachlan Murdoch has three full siblings: Elisabeth and James. He also has an older half-sister, Prudence, and two younger half-sisters, Grace and Chloe. These younger sisters are from his father's third marriage. Reports say there have been some disagreements between Lachlan and his brother James.

Lachlan holds Australian citizenship. He has often said that he sees himself as Australian and that Australia is his home. He also has strong ties to the US, where he has lived and worked for a long time. He speaks with an American accent.

In 1999, Lachlan married Sarah O'Hare, a British-born Australian model and actress. They have three children: two sons and one daughter.

The Murdochs own several homes. They have houses in Sydney, Australia; Aspen, Colorado; and Los Angeles, California. As of 2023, his wife and children live in Sydney. Lachlan divides his time between Sydney, Los Angeles (where Fox Corp. is based), and New York City (where News Corp is based).

Political Views

People have often thought that Lachlan Murdoch is more conservative than his siblings. However, it was reported that he did not support Donald Trump's presidency. He has said his political views are "conservative economically and more liberal on social policy." This means he supports traditional economic ideas but is more open-minded on social issues.

In February 2023, Lachlan and his wife Sarah Murdoch gave A$1 million to Qtopia. This is a museum in Sydney that celebrates queer history and culture.

Family Tree

Recognition and Media

In June 2005, Lachlan Murdoch received the "media person of the year" award at an event in Cannes, France.

In September 2024, ABC Television (Australia) aired a three-part documentary about him. It was called "Making Lachlan Murdoch" and was part of their Australian Story program. Lachlan did not take part in making it. However, it included an interview with him from 2001. His billionaire friend James Packer was also interviewed.

The first episode, "Blood," focused on his father, Rupert, and grandfather, Sir Keith Murdoch. The second episode was called "Money." The series can also be watched on YouTube.

Net Worth

Year	Financial Review Rich List		Forbes Australia's 50 Richest
	Rank	Net worth (A$)	Net worth (US$)
2018	n/a	unlisted	unlisted
2019	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	$3.62 billion	unlisted
2020	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022	$3.76 billion
2021	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022	$4.43 billion
2022	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028	$4.00 billion
2023	&&&&&&&&&&&&&033.&&&&&033	$3.35 billion

Legend
Icon	Description
	Has not changed from the previous year
	Has increased from the previous year
	Has decreased from the previous year

See also

In Spanish: Lachlan Murdoch para niños