Bonfire of the Murdochs: How the Epic Fight to Control the Last Great Media Dynasty Broke a Family –– and the World

by Gabriel Sherman

The real succession story of the Murdoch empire is more shocking than the fictional TV series.

When Rupert Murdoch made a fateful decision about who should inherit his media colossus, he believed that pitting his children against each other would produce the most capable heir. Twenty-five years later, that gamble would tear apart one of the world’s most powerful families and trigger a multi-billion dollar reckoning in a succession battle featuring betrayals, lawsuits, and revenge plots.

In Bonfire of the Murdochs, bestselling author Gabriel Sherman tells the inside story of this epic family war, one whose seeds were planted a half-century ago in Australia when the complicated patriarch left his homeland to conquer the world and please the ghost of his judgmental father. That quest culminated in a media empire that controlled Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and tabloids on three continents, which wielded more political and cultural power than any single company in modern times.

But Rupert’s plan to rip up the secret trust controlling his empire and anoint his conservative firstborn son Lachlan as successor set him on a collision course with his three more liberal children What price would Rupert pay to secure his legacy? For the aging patriarch, this would be his final and most personal deal.

Based on interviews with more than 150 sources, Bonfire of the Murdochs is a richly textured narrative where each child plays their predestined role in a blood feud that explodes in a courtroom showdown. There, Murdoch’s children weaponize his own secrets against him. It is a tragedy Shakespeare would have appreciated, where getting everything you want costs everything you love.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

Audible Audio

Published February 3, 2026

About the author

GABRIEL SHERMAN is a special correspondent for Vanity Fair and the author of the New York Times Best Selling biography of Fox News founder Roger Ailes, The Loudest Voice in the Room, which is currently being adapted into a limited series for Showtime. Previously, Sherman served as national affairs editor at New York magazine and is a regular contributor to NBC News and MSNBC. He lives in New York City with his family.

Reviews

[Traci Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Story of Rupert Murdoch, the conservative media mogul behind Fox News among many other outlets, and the battle over succession between his children. I wanted so much more from this book. This book is barely even about the succession battle, the first two thirds are about Murdoch and his rise and pinnacle, and then we get the succession stuff but it is presented in a very un-juicy way. I wanted way more mess and toxicity, and instead got just like boring corporate maneuvering. I dunno, maybe the Roy’s ruined this for me, because Logan’s kids were really reprehensible and the Murdoch’s just seemed petulant and self-absorbed.

[Ben Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love any murdoch content and the way succession mined this for plot points is so good. RANT: i get that not everyone likes sports but trying to tell the story of Fox and including the nfl rights deal as one throwaway clause in one sentence is MALPRACTICE. it often feels like non-sports ppl try to take sports out of the story entirely and like sure but in this case its to the deficit of the story you're telling and immediately makes me question what else you left out bc it isn't what you care about

[David Simoni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Early to middle part of book is okay as it gives brief bios of Rupert, wives, and kids. Last few chapters focus too much on Sherman's obvious anti Trump, anti Fox News bias. Believe what you want but don't give me your personal opinions in a vailed way, just state facts and I will make up my own mind.

[Laney Becker]

A non-fiction account of Rupert Murdoch and the mess he calls a family.