If you’ve spent any time watching Succession, you probably think you know the vibe. Wealthy heirs, boardroom backstabbing, and a patriarch who refuses to let go. But honestly, the real-life story of James and Kathryn Murdoch is way more interesting than the HBO script. While the rest of the world was watching the Murdoch family’s legal battles over the family trust in late 2024 and 2025, James and Kathryn were busy building a completely different kind of empire. One that focuses on climate change, fixing American democracy, and "protopian" futures.
They aren't just "the liberal Murdochs." That’s a lazy label.
James was once the heir apparent to the Fox and News Corp throne. He ran BSkyB. He was the CEO of 21st Century Fox. He was the guy. But in 2020, he famously walked away, citing "disagreements over certain editorial content." Basically, he couldn't stomach the climate denialism and the hard-right pivot of his father's news outlets. Since then, he and Kathryn have used their massive wealth to try and dismantle the very polarization his family’s media machine helped create.
The Quadrivium Strategy: Not Your Typical Philanthropy
Most billionaire foundations just throw money at "awareness." James and Kathryn Murdoch don't really do that. Through their Quadrivium Foundation, they’ve taken a venture-capital-style approach to societal problems. They look for "leverage points"—places where a single change can have a massive ripple effect.
You’ve probably seen their name pop up in the news regarding Unite America. This is a big one. Kathryn Murdoch is the co-chair there, and they’ve spent millions pushing for Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) and open primaries. Why? Because they believe the current "closed primary" system forces politicians to play to the most extreme 10% of their base. By changing how we vote, they hope to make moderation actually profitable for politicians again.
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In 2024 and 2025, their fingerprints were all over voting reform initiatives in states like Colorado and Nevada. It’s a "radical centrist" approach. It makes some people on the left nervous and drives the hard right absolutely crazy.
Investing in the Planet (and the Future)
Then there’s the climate stuff. Kathryn Murdoch isn't just a donor; she’s a strategist. She serves on the board of the Environmental Defense Fund and co-chairs the Climate Leadership Council. But their most recent move is more about storytelling.
Think about it. Most climate movies are depressing. It’s all "we’re all going to die" and "the world is a desert." Kathryn decided that wasn't working.
She co-founded Futurific Studios with futurist Ari Wallach. In 2024, they released A Brief History of the Future on PBS. It was a six-part docuseries that actually looked at solutions. Then, in early 2026, they launched the Protopias Collection—a series of graphic novellas. It’s a cool project. It features stories about AI, biochemistry, and climate disaster, but it’s not dystopian. It’s about how humanity actually moves forward. One of the stories, Polis, even deals with the complexities of future governance.
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Lupa Systems and the "Post-Fox" Business Life
James didn't just retire to go birdwatching. His investment firm, Lupa Systems, is where the business side of his life lives now. He started it with about $2 billion from the Disney-Fox deal.
Lupa isn't looking for the next Uber. They’re focused on:
- Impact-driven tech: Companies that solve real-world problems.
- Independent media: Supporting newsrooms that aren't tied to the old-school partisan models.
- Asian Markets: Especially India, where his joint venture Bodhi Tree Systems has been making massive moves in media and education tech.
In 2025, Quadrivium even renewed a $5 million investment in the American Journalism Project. They’re trying to save local news because they see the death of local papers as a primary cause of national polarization. When you don't know what’s happening at your city council, you start fighting about culture wars on Twitter. They’re trying to bridge that gap.
What Most People Get Wrong About Them
People love a good "rebel son" narrative. They want James to be the hero who takes down his father, Rupert. But the reality is more nuanced.
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James and Kathryn are still deeply part of the global elite. They navigate the halls of Davos and the Aspen Institute. They aren't trying to overthrow the system; they’re trying to debug it.
There’s also the ongoing tension with his brother, Lachlan Murdoch. While Lachlan has doubled down on the Fox News model, James has stayed true to his exit. Even during the 2024-2025 legal battles over the Murdoch Family Trust—where Rupert tried to ensure Lachlan kept permanent control—James remained the quietest, most calculated player in the room. He isn't fighting for the crown anymore. He’s building his own kingdom.
Actionable Insights: What We Can Learn
You don't need a billion dollars to take a page out of the James and Kathryn Murdoch playbook. Their strategy boils down to a few key principles:
- Identify the Root Cause: If you hate the news, don't just complain—support local journalism or organizations like the American Journalism Project.
- Focus on Systems, Not People: The Murdochs aren't just backing candidates; they’re backing Ranked Choice Voting. Change the rules of the game, and the players will change their behavior.
- Reject Dystopia: It’s easy to be cynical. It’s harder to build "protopias." Look for projects that offer realistic solutions rather than just pointing out problems.
- Know When to Walk: James Murdoch could have stayed and fought for Fox. Instead, he realized the culture was incompatible with his values and left to build something new. Sometimes, the best way to win is to stop playing the old game.
If you’re interested in how media and money shape our world, keep an eye on what Quadrivium does next in 2026. They’re betting big that the future of the world isn't as dark as the evening news makes it look.
Next Steps for You:
Check out the Unite America website to see if there are voting reform initiatives in your state. If you’re a fan of speculative fiction that isn't soul-crushing, look for the Protopias Collection from AWA and Futurific Studios. Understanding the mechanics of how they're trying to fix democracy is way more useful than just watching the latest family drama in the tabloids.