James Murdoch could soon own New York magazine and a stable of popular podcasts, according to reports.
The younger Murdoch’s investment firm Lupa Systems is in late-stage negotiations with Vox Media to acquire New York magazine and the company’s podcast network, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the discussions. The talks may not close, those sources said.
Lupa has put north of $300 million on the table for the package, two people briefed on the negotiations told CNN. Vox has been hunting for buyers as digital media continues to lose ground. (RELATED: Sports Media Legends To Reunite On Iconic Show After Almost 10 Years — But There’s A Catch: REPORT)
Murdoch has cast himself for years as the family’s progressive outlier. He endorsed Kamala Harris in 2024, CNBC reported. After the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, he and his wife blasted “media property owners” who “know the truth but choose instead to propagate lies.” His wife Kathryn has invested in The Bulwark, a digital outlet built on opposition to President Donald Trump, the WSJ reported.
Exclusive: Media investor James Murdoch is in advanced talks to buy Vox Media’s New York Magazine and podcast division https://t.co/sTFvnjTR3x
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) May 5, 2026
The Vox bid extends his break from the empire his father built. James, his sister Elisabeth and his sister Prudence MacLeod each pocketed about $1.1 billion in a September 2025 settlement, Variety reported. The agreement left their brother Lachlan in command of voting shares at Fox Corp. and News Corp. Rupert Murdoch ran New York magazine for 15 years after a 1976 hostile takeover and unloaded it in 1991.
New York magazine and its companion sites Vulture and The Cut draw close to 10 million monthly visitors, The Hollywood Reporter reported, citing Comscore figures from March. Vox has watched its audience erode as Facebook closed its referral pipeline and AI summaries siphoned off Google search clicks.
Lupa’s media bets have not always paid off. The firm held a stake in Vice Media that vanished when former lenders took control after the company’s bankruptcy, Variety noted.