How one man built a $22 billion empire — and changed the way the world consumes news.
Let's be real for a second.
If you want to understand modern media — the shouting, the scandal, the politics, the sheer audacity of it all — you have to start with one man: Rupert Murdoch.
He didn't just build a media empire. He reinvented what media could be. And along the way, he became one of the most influential — and controversial — figures of the last century.
Rupert Murdoch inherited his first newspaper at age 22. His father, Sir Keith Murdoch, was a celebrated war correspondent and publisher who left him a chain of Australian papers.
From the start, Murdoch had a formula: sex, scandal, sport, and sensationalism. He took the Adelaide News and turned it into a paper dominated by tabloid journalism — crime, gossip, bold headlines, and conservative politics.
Circulation soared. He bought more papers. And he didn't stop.
In 1969, Murdoch bought the struggling News of the World — and then The Sun, a dreary broadsheet that he transformed into a tabloid.
His formula worked. The Sun became Britain's best-selling newspaper, thanks to:
In 1981, he acquired The Times and The Sunday Times — the ultimate establishment titles. A tabloid king now owned the paper of record.
Murdoch set his sights on the United States. He became a US citizen in 1985 to own television stations, and he built a media empire that would change American politics forever:
But his biggest move came in 1996: Fox News.
With Roger Ailes, Murdoch created a 24-hour cable news channel that abandoned the "Fairness Doctrine" and embraced partisan opinion. It became the most-watched cable news network in America — and a political force that helped elect Donald Trump.
Murdoch's empire was built on power — but power comes at a price.
The News of the World was caught hacking the voicemail of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler. Public outrage forced Murdoch to shut down the 168-year-old newspaper. The scandal cost hundreds of millions in settlements and tarnished his reputation.
Fox News faced multiple defamation lawsuits, including a $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over false election fraud claims. Murdoch admitted under oath that some Fox hosts endorsed claims they knew were false.
In 2026, Donald Trump refiled a $14 billion lawsuit against the Journal, claiming Murdoch promised to "handle" a story about Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Murdoch's six children have been locked in a decades-long battle for control of his empire — a real-life version of Succession.
The deal: In 2025, the family reached a $3.3 billion agreement. Lachlan gained full control. His three older siblings walked away with $1.1 billion each. Lachlan's side borrowed $1 billion from JPMorgan to finance the buyout.
As part of the agreement, the family trust was dissolved. Lachlan and his two younger sisters, Grace and Chloe, now control the voting shares. The new trust is in place until 2050.
Rupert Murdoch isn't just a media mogul — he's a cultural force. He understood something that others didn't: people want to be entertained, outraged, and validated.
His papers and networks gave people what they wanted — sex, scandal, politics, and a sense of belonging. And they made him billions.
But his legacy is deeply contested. His critics say he coarsened public debate, enabled populism, and profited from division. His supporters say he gave voice to the voiceless and challenged the elites.
One thing is certain: Rupert Murdoch changed media forever. And his empire will continue to shape politics and culture for decades to come — whether his children agree on anything or not.
I don't agree with everything Murdoch did. I don't agree with a lot of it. But I respect the audacity. He built something from nothing. He took risks. He didn't ask for permission.
That's what I'm doing with MegaFish. Not building an empire — building something real. Something that helps people connect without all the noise.
Rupert Murdoch will eventually step down. His children will fight over the scraps. The empire will evolve.
But the lesson remains: media is power. And the people who wield it shape the world.
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