How the Murdoch Children Are Likely to Spend Their Disney Haul

For several decades, the media industry watched slack-jawed as Rupert Murdoch acquired newspapers, magazines, TV channels, book imprints, movie rights, satellite assets, websites, and social networks. He bought from old-money, aristocratic families on the decline and from startup hipsters on the rise. Whether the media market was hot or frigid, Murdoch kept right on buying in spite of howling opposition from his progressive detractors.

Then, finally, he sold. In June 2018, Walt Disney Co. agreed to pay $71 billion to acquire much of the sweeping territory Murdoch spent a lifetime assembling. Among other assets, Disney is poised to take control of 21st Century Fox Inc.’s TV and movie studios, its slate of cable-TV networks, including FX and National Geographic, and its stake in satellite-TV network Star India. The deal, which is navigating one of the final regulatory obstacles in Brazil, is expected to close this spring. When it does, the Murdoch clan, via its Nevada-based family trust, will likely net a mix of cash and Disney shares worth as much as $11.6 billion.