On what he called the “most humble day” of his life, Keith Rupert Murdoch may have revealed a hole in the protective cocoon of his family.
As Murdoch squirmed amid the heat of a British Parliamentary hearing on a tabloid phone-hacking scandal that is rocking his media empire, notably absent were his daughter Elisabeth and son Lachlan, who with their brother James (who was present Tuesday) are to inherit the keys to the abruptly-embattled media kingdom.
More than a day after the hearings, it’s still unclear as to why Elisabeth and Lachlan were elsewhere and not present for such a momentous occasion -- one during which Rupert Murdoch took pains to reaffirm his dynastic aspirations.
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News Corp. declined to comment on their whereabouts.
Recently, James, Murdoch’s heir-apparent, and Elisabeth, a past favorite, haven't been seeing eye to eye, an individual close to the family, who has an uncommonly keen grasp of its inner workings, told TheWrap. (It wasn’t made clear as to why brother and sister aren’t on the same page beyond the fact that they have vastly different personalities.)
The Murdochs, encompassing scions sired through Rupert’s three marriages, long have borne the potential to become a modern version of a Shakespearean tragedy. And within the family, TheWrap has learned, there’s a poignant mindfulness of this potential at this seminal moment.
But just which tragedy is it?
After Murdoch’s six-decade rise to the throne of the true king of all media, a tabloid scandal in a cranny of the business is rattling his empire’s foundation. This has fueled, like never before, a universal, if grudging, cognizance within the family and beyond of the inevitability of the storied empire-builder’s departure.
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In fact, according to the family insider, clan members themselves perceive their situation in Shakespearean terms. But it's not the "obvious 'King Lear,'" the insider cryptically pointed out to TheWrap.
Of course, there are plenty of other compelling explanations beyond family tension for Elisabeth and Lachlan's absence Tuesday -- illness, other urgent family or business matters, or perhaps, even an ill-advised PR strategy recommended by Murdoch’s crisis spinmeisters at Edelman Inc.
In his most humanizing moment before Parliament, Murdoch the progenitor was emphatically clear on the legacy that he hopes will most define him.
“I was brought up by a father who was not rich but who was a great journalist, and just before he died, he bought a small paper specifically so it would have a chance to do good,” Murdoch told Parliament. “He exposed the scandal of Gallipoli, which I remain proud of. I would love to see my sons and daughters follow him if they are interested.”
James’ interest is manifest in so much that he is heir-apparent -- or perhaps was. Since he became News Corp.’s
