Rupert Murdoch’s six children — Prudence, Elisabeth, Lachlan, James, Grace, and Chloe — have collectively become one of the most discussed family dynasties in global media. With a Netflix documentary series airing in 2026, a billion-dollar trust battle resolved through an out-of-court settlement, and Lachlan Murdoch’s consolidation of his father’s empire, the Murdoch family story continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Here is everything known about Rupert Murdoch’s six children.
Table of Contents
Where Does the Story Start?
Mr. Murdoch had his first child, a daughter, with Patricia Booker. Guess who she is?
Prudence Prue..
Then, what about the other five?
Well, you must be having some information about his ‘gamily’ (Game + family, indeed!) from the series.
Jokes apart!
To get you on track again, here’s a quick glimpse of how things took a turn and unfolded with time.
Rupert Murdoch’s expanded family of six offspring sprang up with his three subsequent marriages in his lifetime. We will learn everything about it shortly.
But..
Why are Rupert Murdoch’s Children Now Emerging as the Hot Topic?
In the docuseries ‘Dynasty: The Murdochs’, we find how Murdoch’s six children are trying hard to please their father in every possible way and become the heir of his billion-dollar empire. The series was aired on Netflix on 13th March, 2026.
The storyline so far..
We could see Mr. Murdoch finally making Lachlan the successor of his grand empire, thereby going to court to settle the shares of the other five.
Murdoch and His Marriages
The first wife of Rupert was Patricia Booker (as mentioned earlier), with whom he begot Prue. However, the couple separated in 1967 due to some discord, and Rupert proceeded to tie the knot with Anna Torv. They bore children named Elisabeth, Lachlan and James, respectively, in 1968, 1971 and 1972.
Well, this is not the end…Again, after about three decades, Murdoch became the father of Grace and Chloe with his third spouse, Wendi Deng.
Absolutely stunning!
About Rupert Murdoch Children
His six children have become the real-life inspirational icons of the popular TV show, Succession. While the eldest son Lachlan is now the heir of the massive empire, his other siblings received fat payouts following the legal battle.
Get to know about each of them in detail below.
Prudence Murdoch: The Eldest Daughter
Also known as ‘Prue’, Prudence Murdoch was born in August 1958 in Adelaide, Australia, to Rupert and Patricia. Being born out of her father’s first marriage, she is the eldest of all step-siblings. Prue has largely avoided the corporate world and its intense limelight, while taking up important roles in the family business. She is now 67.
Although she led her early life away from the media spotlight, Prue’s career was remarkably highlighted by her participation in the renowned ‘News of the World,’ which was her father’s own company. Moreover, she was a board member of ‘The Times Newspapers, Ltd.’ in the United Kingdom.
However, several sources claimed a record of them having a mild conflict, as it was found that Rupert mentioned having only three children in a press conference held in 1997. That was short-lived, though, as according to Prue again, he gifted her the loveliest of flowers in a bouquet thereafter. These push-and-pull relationship dynamics between the father-daughter duo have not been clarified or affirmed as of now, and remain a source of mystery to all.
Talking about her personal family life, Prue is a mother to three. She has been married two times, and her ex-husband was Mr. Crispin Odey (a London-based hedge fund manager). However, their marriage was short-lived, lasting for about a year. She broke up with him in 1987 and afterwards tied the knot with Alasdair MacLeod after 2 years. The couple bore three children named James, Angus, and Clementine, respectively.
Quite recently, in a family trust reorganization, Prue, along with her siblings Elisabeth and James, left the trust after receiving $1.1 billion each. This also makes her step out of the voting rights on behalf of the companies.
Elisabeth Murdoch: The Independent Media Mogul
Unlike her big stepsister, Elisabeth is a proficient media entrepreneur who has a strong spotlight presence. She is the first daughter of Rupert Murdoch from his second marriage to Anna Torv. Elisabeth was born on 22nd August, 1968, and is currently 57.
She spent her childhood in New York, USA, and after passing high school, she joined Vassar College. Post-graduation, Elisabeth had been working in several television and media roles, including those within her father’s business. Alongside, she pursued self-ventures and maintained those with grace in upcoming times.
She launched the renowned Shine production company in 2001. This is the very television company that aired shows like MasterChef. In 2011, Shine got incorporated into Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp in a fat deal of $674 million.
Elisabeth, over the years (in 2019), took an independent move and went on to found ‘Sister Pictures’. Sister is a globally famous media content and entertainment company standing tall in 2026 that created thrilling documentaries like HBO’s Chernobyl and BBC’s Broadchurch.
Apart from being an independent, career-oriented woman, Elisabeth is a loving mom to four children. Well, like her father Rupert, she too was married three times. Her first husband was her college fellow batchmate, Mr. Elkin Pianim, whom she married in 1993. They welcomed two daughters named Cornelia and Anna, respectively. Unfortunately, the couple got divorced after five years in 1998.
Three years post-divorce, in 2001, she married Mr. Matthew Freud, a UK-based PR executive. The couple has two children: Charlotte and Samson. But again, history repeated – Elisabeth and Matthew broke up in 2014. Later, in 2017, Elisabeth finally entered into a marital bond with Keith Tyson, who is an artist.
As mentioned previously, Elisabeth stepped down from the Murdoch family’s trust after receiving an amount of $1.1 billion.
Lachlan Murdoch: The Chosen Successor and Rightful Owner
The second-born kid of Rupert and Anna, Lachlan is the eldest son of the Murdoch family. He was born on 8th September, 1971, and raised like Elisabeth, his older sister. Lachlan spent his early years in New York, and later pursued a degree in Philosophy from the reputed Princeton University. He will turn 55 this year.
Like his other two siblings, he worked for his father in his initial days (well, he does even now!), managing newspapers across America and Australia. Within a few years, in 2000, he was promoted to the post of Deputy Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the leading Fox Corporation.
After 5 years, he self-launched the company, Illyria Pty, making investments in radio stations. About two decades later, in 2023, Lachlan also began looking after his father’s News Corp and 21st Century Fox companies by being the non-executive co-chairperson.
Now, you might be having questions regarding why Rupert Murdoch chose Lachlan as his rightful heir to his billion-dollar empire. Here’s the probable reason.
Lachlan had similar political views to those of his father and was quite conservative in his approach to life. This secured him a firm, finalized position as the most suitable successor of the vast Murdoch empire.
Even more, he is also going to continue the governance of the editorial business of The Wall Street Journal, which is a profound news media division under News Corp.
In terms of personal life, Lachlan is the sole member of the Murdochs who probably has faced the least turbulence. He has been happily married to an Australian model named Sarah O’Hare since 1998, and is blessed with three children, namely Kalan, Aidan and Aerin.
James Murdoch: The Liberal Dissident
Born on 13th December, 1972 to Rupert and Anna, James is the youngest sibling amongst the three children of Rupert and Anna. James joined the prestigious Harvard University after high school; however, he discontinued the graduation programme shortly to start his own hip-hop brand, Rawkus Records. This happened around 1995-1996. He is 53 years old now.
As per The Man Who Owns the News reports, exemplary vocal artists like Mos Def, Eminem, etc. joined it. Later, in 1998, Rawkus Records was merged with News Corp, and the brand continued to work under it for several decades (as per BBC reports). In 2015, James emerged as the CEO of 21st Century Fox, according to the Los Angeles Times.
However, as James’s own political and environmental views drifted to the political left, he openly clashed with the editorial directions of his father’s publications. James formally resigned from the News Corp board in 2020 due to content disputes and has since founded the Quadrivium Foundation and Lupa Systems, focusing on climate change initiatives and investments, respectively.
James founded the above organizations along with his wife, Kathryn Hufschmid, whom he married in 2000. They are also the blessed parents of three children – Anneka, Emerson and Walter, respectively.
Grace and Chloe Murdoch: The Youngest Children
- Grace Murdoch
Grace Murdoch is the eldest daughter of Rupert and his third wife, Wendi Deng, and was born on 19th November, 2001. Raised in NYC, she attended the Brearley School on Manhattan’s Upper East Side for her graduation. Afterwards, she went on to pursue her MBA at Yale University. According to her LinkedIn profile, Grace also did an internship at Goldman Sachs in consumer retailing. She is going to turn 25 this year.
Recently, she has been appearing on red carpets. Her notable participation in the 2024 and 2025 Met Gala and the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in 2026 have drawn the attention of millions of netizens.
She shares a very adorable bond with her father, Rupert Murdoch, as we find her wishing him “I am so lucky to be your daughter, and you are my favorite person” on his 90th birthday over Instagram.
- Chloe Murdoch
The youngest of all Rupert Murdoch children, Chloe was born on 17th July, 2003. She too studied like her older sister, Grace, at Brearley School. However, post-graduation, she moved to Leland Stanford Junior University for higher studies, where she completed a double major in Computer Science and Political Economy in July, 2025. After this, Chloe, along with her fellow alumni, founded an “AI Education Platform” which plans to expand itself into the Asian market. Chloe seems to be sharing a similar trait to that of Prue. Although she maintains her social media accounts, she mostly likes her personal life to be private. Her age as of 2026 is 23 years.
The Succession War: How the Murdoch Family Trust Broke?
For several years, it was anticipated that the family empire would be divided equally among Rupert’s four eldest children—Prudence, Elisabeth, Lachlan, and James. However, 3 years ago, Rupert tried to amend the trust completely to Lachlan as the sole successor, thus leaving the other three powerless to vote.
Such an incident triggered an intensely private but highly publicized legal war in MFT’s courtroom in Nevada. Though a probate commissioner initially ruled that Rupert and Lachlan acted in “bad faith,” the family ultimately reached an out-of-court resolution.
The deal saw Prudence, Elisabeth, and James surrender their voting shares and exit the trust, receiving a staggering $3.3 billion total (roughly $1.1 billion each). Today, the business retains its conservative tilt under Lachlan Murdoch’s uncontested rule.
Conclusion
Rupert Murdoch’s six children represent six very different responses to being born into one of the world’s most powerful media dynasties: from Lachlan’s conservative stewardship of the empire to James’s climate-focused activism; from Elisabeth’s independent media ventures to Prudence’s relative privacy; and from Grace and Chloe’s emerging careers to the settled question of who ultimately inherits the throne.
With the Netflix documentary Dynasty: The Murdochs bringing fresh attention to this story in 2026, the Murdoch family saga shows no signs of fading from the public consciousness — even as Rupert himself, at 95, has officially stepped back from his empire’s leadership.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which companies are owned by Rupert Murdoch?
The massive media empire primarily functions through two major companies, News Corp and Fox Corporation. He has already retired from their chairperson positions, and currently his eldest son, Lachlan Murdoch, is handling all the important roles (following the previous year’s family trust settlement).
Are Grace and Chloe Murdoch really the biological children of Rupert Murdoch?
Yes, they are sisters, born from the third marriage of Rupert Murdoch to Wendi Deng. However, they were not born naturally, but through the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology.
What was the fight amongst Rupert Murdoch’s children about?
The siblings’ conflict mainly revolved around the differing political ideologies and the need to control the existing empire. While Rupert Murdoch always wanted a sense of confidentiality to emerge, his younger children, like James Murdoch, disagreed to this. On the other hand, since Lachlan bore similar views to his father, he was finally chosen for power consolidation.
How much did the Rupert Murdoch children get in the settlement?
As part of the final resolution, Prudence, Elisabeth, and James Murdoch received approximately $1.1 billion each in cash for their shares in the family trust.
Did Grace and Chloe Murdoch get any shares?
Because Grace and Chloe are much younger than their half-siblings, they were not part of the initial voting-power trust created in 1999. Instead, they are beneficiaries of non-voting shares in a separate, newly restructured trust.
Where are Rupert Murdoch’s children living now?
His six children are spread all over the world across the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Lachlan, his sole successor, is living in Los Angeles, Elisabeth in London, James in New York City, Prudence in Sydney, while Grace and Chloe are residing in California (occasionally visiting New York).
