Journalist Gabriel Sherman discusses his book 'Bonfire of the Murdochs' on Slate’s Political Gabfest, revealing how Rupert Murdoch pitted his children against each other. The discussion highlights family rifts during the 2011 phone-hacking scandal and concerns over successor Lachlan's leadership. Sherman predicts Lachlan may sell the company after Rupert's death.
In a recent episode of Slate’s Political Gabfest podcast series Gabfest Reads, host David Plotz interviewed journalist Gabriel Sherman about his new book, 'Bonfire of the Murdochs: How the Epic Fight to Control the Last Great Media Dynasty Broke a Family—and the World.' The conversation, published on March 21, 2026, focused on Rupert Murdoch's role in engineering conflicts among his children to maintain control of his media empire, including Fox News. Sherman described a particularly striking incident from 2011, amid the London phone-hacking scandal. He recounted how Rupert Murdoch encouraged his daughter Elisabeth, who was seeking her father's approval and upset over the family's tarnished reputation, to urge her brother James to resign. 'Rupert used James’s older sister, Elisabeth... “Well, you should tell James to essentially quit. I want you to fire your brother,” in so many words,' Sherman said. This manipulation led to years of estrangement between Elisabeth and James. Ironically, they reconciled by joining forces to sue their older brother Lachlan and Rupert over attempts to alter the family trust in Lachlan's favor. Sherman questioned whether Lachlan possesses Rupert's 'ruthless brilliance and eye for talent.' He noted Lachlan's career trajectory: starting in Australia, moving to New York, feuding with executives Roger Ailes and Peter Chernin in the mid-2000s, then quitting to return to Australia. There, Lachlan married a former model and TV host and became part of Sydney society. Unlike Rupert, who sought to expand globally from Australia, Lachlan runs the company remotely from there. Sherman predicted that post-Rupert, Lachlan would likely sell or step away, lacking the drive to acquire and build aggressively, preferring to preserve the existing empire.
