James Murdoch is the former chairman of 21st Century Fox and the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Unlike his conservative father, James is a liberal; his wife, Kathryn Murdoch, is a major donor to center-left causes, both personally and through her Quadrivium Foundation.

Political Contributions

In 2019, Murdoch donated $100 million to the Quadrivium Foundation, which he co-founded with Kathryn, in the form of shares in the Walt Disney Corporation. ¹ This donation was made on the same day Disney bought 21^st Century Fox and its assets such as 20^th Century Studios. ^{2 3} Quadrivium then went on to give over $25 million in grants to left-of-center organizations like the Environmental Defense Fund, to whom Quadrivium gave $11 million in grants in the 2019 fiscal year. ⁴ According to a CNBC article, Quadrivium committed to giving over $43 million to “climate change related” groups. ⁵ In 2019, Quadrivium made over $38 million worth of donations to various election-related organizations, some of which were dedicated to opposing voting restrictions. ^{6 7}

1. United States. Internal Revenue Service. “Form 990-PF Quadrivium.” Washington, D.C.: Dept. of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, 2019. https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/editorialfiles/2021/06/07/QUADRIVIUM_2019_Tax_Return_990-PF.pdf.
2. United States. Internal Revenue Service. “Form 990-PF Quadrivium.” Washington, D.C.: Dept. of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, 2019. https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/editorialfiles/2021/06/07/QUADRIVIUM_2019_Tax_Return_990-PF.pdf.
3. Schwartz, Matthew. “Disney Officially Owns 21st Century Fox.” NPR. National Public Radio, March 20, 2019. https://www.npr.org/2019/03/20/705009029/disney-officially-owns-21st-century-fox.
4. United States. Internal Revenue Service. “Form 990-PF Quadrivium.” Washington, D.C.: Dept. of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, 2019. https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/editorialfiles/2021/06/07/QUADRIVIUM_2019_Tax_Return_990-PF.pdf.
5. Schwartz, Brian. “James Murdoch Spent $100 Million to Help Fund Political Causes during 2020 Election Cycle.” CNBC. CNBC, June 11, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/08/james-murdoch-spent-100-million-to-fund-political-causes-during-2020-election.html.
6. United States. Internal Revenue Service. “Form 990-PF Quadrivium.” Washington, D.C.: Dept. of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, 2019. https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/editorialfiles/2021/06/07/QUADRIVIUM_2019_Tax_Return_990-PF.pdf.
7. Schwartz, Brian. “James Murdoch Spent $100 Million to Help Fund Political Causes during 2020 Election Cycle.” CNBC. CNBC, June 11, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/08/james-murdoch-spent-100-million-to-fund-political-causes-during-2020-election.html.