Overview

Lachlan Keith Murdoch is the Executive Chairman and CEO of Fox Corporation and co-chairman of News Corp; inheriting control of his father Rupert Murdoch's global media empire. Under Lachlan's leadership; Fox News broadcast false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen; including specific allegations that Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic had rigged voting machines. Internal communications revealed during the Dominion defamation lawsuit showed that Fox hosts and executives; including Lachlan Murdoch; knew the election fraud claims were false but continued airing them to retain audience share. Tucker Carlson texted "Sidney Powell is lying by the way" while hosting her on air; Rupert Murdoch testified it was "wrong" to endorse the conspiracy theories; and Sean Hannity said under oath he never believed the stolen election claims. Fox Corporation settled the Dominion lawsuit for $787.5 million in April 2023; the largest known defamation settlement in U.S. history; without admitting wrongdoing. A separate $2.7 billion lawsuit from Smartmatic remains pending. Fox News under the Murdochs has been identified by media scholars as a primary driver of political polarization in the United States; with documented impacts on voting behavior; vaccine hesitancy; and climate change denial.

Key Affiliations

Controversies & Concerns

Related Investigations (1)

Known Associates & Connections

Sources & Documentation

2 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports