I find the idea of designing an organization to carry out one’s wishes long after one is dead absolutely fascinating. The best example we have is the Roman Catholic Church, which has had substantively the same goals for almost two thousand years. The world’s remaining monarchies might arguably count, although I’m not sure how much, for example, the current King of England has in common with his distant ancestors. He’s still rich and famous, but he has no real authority.

It looks like the senior Murdoch is facing the same problem that kings faced so often - disappointing heirs. At least they’re not literally declaring war on him the way that royal heirs used to.