Rupert Murdoch makes a death-defying appearance

Résumé détaillé

The media tycoon’s appearance at an event in New York was followed by former employee Siobhan McKenna’s farewell bash before she jets off to the same city.

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In this week’s On Background, a Rupert Murdoch rumour sweeps the media world, The Karl Stefanovic Show chases a new revenue stream, and the ABC’s investigative elite show up at a former colleague’s book launch.

One year ago, the unthinkable happened when Lachlan Murdoch and his loyal and trusted consigliere, Siobhan McKenna, parted ways for good.

McKenna left both News Corp and Murdoch’s private investment company Illyria last year, having been the architect of Project Family Harmony, the audacious plan to hand Lachlan control of the empire, which led to a bitter inter-family courtroom feud in Nevada.

Now, she won’t be far away from the action once again, as she jets off to New York to take up her government-appointed post as consul-general. It’s a gig usually reserved for politicians such as former state premiers Steve Bracks and Nick Greiner or Howard government minister Nick Minchin.

But as Malcolm Turnbull once said, News Corp operates like a political party itself, so McKenna is in good company.

To mark the occasion, McKenna threw a farewell bash at her Toorak manor on Thursday night and On Background was on location to greet the powerful guest list as they arrived.

Former Tennis Australia and Virgin boss Jane Hrdlicka, now running drinks giant Endeavour, was one of the first to arrive, and ensured her driver kept the engine running. Coles boss Leah Weckert attempted to use her husband to hide from On Background’s photographer, but failed.

Former Liberal health minister Greg Hunt arrived alone, shortly after activist investor James Baillieu and his partner Josephine.

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