“Regrettably,it has become necessary to reschedule the luncheon on February 20,2024. We look forward to celebratingThe Australian’s 60th with you later in the year,” the note read.
After News Corp’s relocation to the US 20 years ago,annual visits to Australia by Murdoch and his top brass had been common,with the hands-on-media billionaire using it as an opportunity to comb over physical copies of the company’s mastheads,visit politicians and check in with senior editors.
While the pandemic halted international travel for several years,the 92-year-old’s health has also been a factor in his lengthy absence.A recent book written by American author Michael Wolff reported that Murdoch could not make it to his sister Anne Kantor’s funeral in 2022 in Australia due to health issues.
This month’s planned visit was expected to include the media company’sentire board of directors including Murdoch senior and his eldest son Lachlan,who becamethe sole chair of both News Corp and Fox Corp in November.
Also on the list were lead director and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s former mentor Masroor Siddiqui,former US senator Kelly Ayotte,former Spanish president Jose Maria Aznar,Natalie Bancroft of the Bancroft family (the previous owners of Dow Jones andThe Wall Street Journal), Credit Suisse Brasil chair Ana Paula Pessoa and News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson.
Asked about the planned visit,a News Corp spokesperson said that “like most boards,they meet in different locations where they have business”.