Murdoch Family Trust: The real battle over succession has yet to begin

FILE PHOTO: 21st Century Fox Executive Co-Chairmen Rupert Murdoch (L) and his son Lachlan attend the first day of the annual Allen and Co. media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho July 8, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

NEW YORK (Reuters) -When Lachlan Murdoch, the eldest son of media titan Rupert Murdoch, was named the sole chairman of News Corp and Fox Corp on Thursday, the announcement put to rest immediate questions about who will run a sprawling media empire that includes some of the most powerful brands in the world.

The executive transition, however, does not settle another potential power play that could occur upon Rupert Murdoch’s death, as framed by a document called the Murdoch Family Trust.