Fox and News Corp – New Leadership, New Fortunes

<p>Shares of Fox Corporation and News Corp, two of Rupert Murdoch's media
giants, experienced a significant jolt on Thursday, reflecting the impact of
the media mogul's decision to step down from his long-held position. Ouch. That
has to hurt.</p><p>In a move that seems to breathe new life into the conservative-leaning
news conglomerate, the stocks surged, signaling a potential resurgence for
these media entities. How Murdoch feels about his companies’ stock surging on
news that he’s getting out of the game is anyone’s guess.</p><p>So long!</p><p>Fox Corp, the parent company of Fox News and the Fox broadcasting
network, witnessed an impressive uptick of nearly 3.5% during the day, with
share prices climbing to just over $32. This remarkable surge stands as the
company's most substantial single-day increase by percentage on Wall Street in
the past six weeks. Perhaps Murdoch should have gone long ago?</p><p>Meanwhile, News Corp, the parent of Wall Street Journal and New York
Post, didn't lag behind. Its stock prices surged by nearly 1.5% to just under
$20 per share, marking the company's most significant single-day increase in
over a month.</p><p>Murdoch's succession plan</p><p>Murdoch, aged 92, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/rupert-murdoch-steps-down-chairman-fox-news-corp-2023-09-21/">is
set to pass the reins of News Corp to his 52-year-old son, Lachlan Murdoch</a>,
the third-oldest among Rupert Murdoch's six children. Lachlan has been actively
serving as the CEO and executive chairman of Fox Corp. We’re sure that he’s
been waiting patiently in the wings and not at all chaffing at his dad’s long
tenure.</p><blockquote><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rupert Murdoch has stepped down as the chairman of Fox and News Corp. The news comes just months after Murdoch scrapped a plan that would have reunited his media empire by merging the two companies <a href="https://t.co/sETWyusEDt">https://t.co/sETWyusEDt</a> <a href="https://t.co/iPw5Fctrhc">pic.twitter.com/iPw5Fctrhc</a></p>— Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1704995169513222417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2023</a></blockquote><p>With Forbes estimating the Murdoch family's net worth at approximately <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/rupert-murdoch/?sh=458895f5b1af">$17.5
billion</a>, Murdoch has consistently ranked as one of the world's wealthiest
individuals.</p><p>In a recent memo addressed to staff, Murdoch confirmed the leadership
transition. He expressed his confidence in his son Lachlan's unwavering
commitment to the cause of "freedom" and assured that he would
continue Fox's storied legacy. What that legacy is, he declined to say.</p><p>Yet, the road ahead is not without its challenges. Lachlan inherits an
empire fraught with legal battles, notably a <a href="https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/2023/04/18/fox-will-pay-usd787-5m-to-settle-dominion-defamation-suit">$787.5
million defamation settlement</a> with Dominion Voting Systems, the
largest-known media defamation <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/terms/s/settlement/">settlement</a> in US history. Another lawsuit from a
voting tech company lingers, alongside two lawsuits from Fox shareholders
alleging that company directors, including Rupert and Lachlan, failed in their
duties, entangling the company in defamation cases.</p><p>Moreover, the succession saga has just begun. Following Rupert's
eventual passing, his shares will be divided among Lachlan and three of his
five siblings: Elisabeth, James, and Prudence. Given past tensions between
James and Lachlan, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/sep/21/lachlan-murdoch-fox-news-politics">the
coveted top position may still be up for grabs</a>. </p><p>If this sort of drama is your thing, we’d suggest watching <a href="https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_bold_and_the_beautiful/">The Bold and the
Beautiful</a>.</p>

This article was written by Louis Parks at www.financemagnates.com.