James Murdoch, Tesla Board
As a scion of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and IRL inspiration for Succession’s Kendall Roy, James had a rich, controversy-filled career as the media landscape’s Ur-nepo baby long before joining the Tesla board in 2017. Once considered heir-apparent to Rupert’s News Corp. empire, James joined Dad’s company in 1996 around the launch of Fox News. Initially steering the company’s web presence, he is credited with reportedly sparking his father’s interest in the potential of the nascent medium. But the real action began in 2003 when James became CEO of British Sky Broadcasting, which he ran for nearly a decade, turning it into Europe's dominant pay-TV giant.
Then came the News of the World scandal of 2011, which revealed the now-defunct paper’s employees had engaged in phone hacking, police bribery, and more in pursuit of stories. During the investigation, emails emerged showing James approved massive payments to silence victims, and he was dragged before Parliament to testify. The imbroglio all but nuked his UK reputation and effectively ended his chances of running the whole empire anytime soon.
Still, by 2012 he was back as Deputy COO at News Corp, and added to the board at VICE in 2013 following a $70 million investment by 21st Century Fox. James’ guidance would help steer the popular outlet to bankruptcy within less than a decade. Also appointed CEO of 21st Century Fox in 2015, he orchestrated the $71 billion sale of Fox IP to Disney, which went through in 2019.
Murdoch’s time on the Tesla board has been similarly controversial to that of its other members. In a 2022 lawsuit over whether Musk pushed board members to overpay for the acquisition of SolarCity, a solar panel installation company owned by Musk’s first cousins, the judge overseeing the case noted that, as a long-time friend of Musk, Murdoch lacked true independence as a board member. Like the rest, Murdoch has come under fire for dumping Tesla stock right at the onset of price dips.
Though James publicly espouses more left-leaning political views than the average billionaire and donates to Democrat candidates, he’s remained at Tesla and fast friends with Elon throughout Musk's increasingly far-right turn and entanglement with the Trump administration.
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