James Murdoch

Bio:
James Murdoch (born James Rupert Jacob Murdoch on December 13, 1972 in Wimbledon, London) is a British media executive. He is the fourth of Rupert Murdoch’s six children. He was considered the brightest of the children, but was also a bit of a rebel. He went into the family business at age 15, interning at the Daily Mirror. James attended Horace Mann School in New York City, graduating in 1991. He studied film and history at Harvard, but dropped out in 1995. In 1996, James joined News Corporation and was appointed the chairman of Festival Records. James took charge of News Corp.’s internet options, where he found mixed results. In 2003, James was appointed director of the British telecommunications company BSkyB, later becoming CEO. He stepped down from the position in 2007, remaining as chairman of the board. James was involved in the 2011 News of the World phone hacking scandal, which forced him to resign as chairman of BSkyB. Though he was not jailed, he was criticized for his conduct during the scandal, noted for having an ‘astonishing lack of curiosity’ over the issue. In June 2015, James was reported to take over as CEO of 21st Century Fox, replacing his father.

Best Known For:
James Murdoch is best known as a media executive and the son of Rupert Murdoch.

Personal Life:  
James is a naturalized US citizen. He married Kathryn Hufschmid in 2000. They have three children together – daughter Anne, and sons Walter and Emerson. James is an avid cyclist, having formed the Sky Procycling team. He also has a black belt in karate.