What do hyena pups and children of dynastic families have in common? They savage each other in a bid for dominance. Even in the bird kingdom, owlets will cannibalise their smaller siblings in order to fatten up and survive. Such primal instincts run rampant in the supposed elites of the human kingdom, not only amongst the Royals but also in the Murdoch clan where the juniors wait to see if/when senior is about to do a Logan Roy, dashing his hopes of immortality.
A Vanity Fair piece has suggested that son James was pitching plot lines to the TV series Succession, creating a surreal spectacle of the Murdoch family’s lives imitating art that imitates their lives.
Three cogent thoughts come out of the article about Murdoch’s succession plans, having long wanted one of his three children from his second marriage – Elisabeth, 54, Lachlan, 51, and James, 50 – to take over the reins.
A family source said: “He pitted his kids against each other their entire lives.” He believed a Darwinian struggle would produce the most capable heir.
A journalist wrote: “I was struck by how sad all the Murdochs seem.”
Rupert Murdoch is convinced he will live forever, despite having recently broken his back, had seizures, two bouts of pneumonia and atrial fibrillation. His mother lived to 103.
At present Lachlan is in control although the Fox/Dominion debacle and recent investor rebellion may spell trouble for him ahead. People close to liberally-inclined James Murdoch say he is biding his time until he and his sisters can wrest control from Lachlan, purge Fox News and transform it into a centre-right alternative to CNN. Elisabeth seems to be the sharpest, but lucked out being a woman, despite having launched her own phenomenally successful television production company – and would probably be the one to bring her father greater glory with her Jupiter sitting on his midheaven.
Lachlan, 8 September 1971, is a charming Sun Venus in Virgo, with Sun square Saturn; and a committed ideologue with an Air Grand Trine of Saturn trine Uranus trine an ultra-stubborn Mars North Node in Aquarius, formed into a Kite with Saturn opposition Neptune Jupiter. He is supportive of Fox’s embrace of climate denialism, white nationalism, and stolen election conspiracies. Tr Saturn in Pisces may damp his enthusiasm more than slightly in 2023/24.
The relationship chart between himself and James has a power-struggling, hostile-dislike composite Mars square Pluto and a suspicious Saturn opposition Neptune. The fault lines between them will open up sharply in 2025/2026 when tr Pluto is square the composite Sun and tr Neptune Saturn in Aries tug at the Mars Pluto square.
James, 13 December 1972, is a downbeat Sun Sagittarius opposition Saturn possibly/probably square a sensitive Pisces Moon – although with a pushily-confident Jupiter square Pluto to balance out his self-doubts. Plus a passionately enthusiastic, can-be-vengeful and determined Mars Venus in Scorpio.
Elisabeth, 22 August 1968, a last degree Leo Sun square Neptune, with a five- planet stellium in Virgo of Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Pluto, Uranus is another Saturnine child. She has a tricky Yod onto a forced-to-be-self-reliant Saturn in Aries inconjunct Uranus sextile Neptune.
Which brother she supports after the old man finally lets go is moot since she doesn’t sync well with either. With James there is a power-struggling composite Mars Pluto conjunction which is being seriously undermined in 2024/25. And with Lachlan there is an aggravated, unkind composite Mars Saturn and no indication of anything other than chills, dips and disruptions in the next few years between them.
Oddly enough their relationship with their father is marginally easier than with each other, despite all of them having strongly Saturnine charts = desperate to gain father’s approval. Rupert’s 4th house focal point Uranus in Aries (which rules his 5th house of children )squaring onto a Saturn opposition Pluto has surely done its thing spreading chaos and anarchy round the family.
He’s not having a great year personally with a frustrating, trapped tr Pluto opposition his 8th house Mars continuing on from 2022 – financial mainly. Plus tr Neptune square his Sagittarius Moon pulling the plug on his emotional life.
Tensions simmer in all families – in these tribes they are blown up on a monumental scale.
Rupert’s father, Keith Murdoch (b 12 August 1885 in Melbourne per Wikipedia), is also interesting. He directly lobbied for Australian military command changes during World War I and supported Billy Hughes, the Australian PM, during the Treaty of Versailles negotiations. (The use of alternate facts is frequently mentioned.) Lord Northcliffe was a friend and mentor in building his press empire.
How does his chart mesh with this dynasty?
Rupert’s first daughter, Prudence, born Adelaide 1958 (date/time not currently known to me) also holds an equal voting share in the family trust with the 3 children of the second marriage. When Rupert dies his 4 shares are divided one share to each of the four named children so that equality will remain.
Prudence will have as significant a say as the other three. If anyone can provide the missing data perhaps the family dynamic after his death could be better assessed?
I saw a few weeks back that he’s already got engaged to his latest girlfriend – having only finalised divorce with Jerry Hall six months ago. I’m never quite sure how people rush back into these things so quickly especially by the time you’ve failed four times previously. But a look at his chart shows the neediness of a Cancer Jupiter Pluto Mars in 7th / 8th houses. I guess with the Sag moon, hope springs eternal that the next woman will be the right choice. At least with the new fiance there is no chance of children messing up the succession plan as she is in her 60s.
Got engaged – got unengaged. Not sure whether he got the $2million sparkler back. The excuse was he suddenly discovered her evangelical beliefs – but that sounds weak. Maybe the kids stoked up problems. She did sound odd.
Since she was a former police chaplain, her religious beliefs can hardly have come as a surprise! Still, he’s said to have ended his marriage to Jerry Hall via email. Nice. I’d imagine that Venus in Aquarius aspecting Neptune in Virgo can’t make for very comfortable alliances. He’d put a woman on a pedestal, then go cold I suspect.
“Where there’s a will – there’s a relative…….”