Imagine the moment Rupert Murdoch, the iron-fisted media emperor behind Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, picks up his phone—only to hear Donald Trump on the line, furious and demanding the paper kill a bombshell story linking him to Jeffrey Epstein. Murdoch listens, then lets the story run anyway. Now, those two titans are locked in a bitter $10 billion defamation war, sparked by a reported “bawdy” 2003 birthday letter to the convicted sex offender that Trump swears is fake.
But here’s the real shock: Murdoch’s own name—and two personal phone numbers (one New York, one California)—appear right in Epstein’s infamous “little black book,” the elite contact list that exposed so many powerful connections to the disgraced financier.
What secrets did Epstein hold over the world’s media king? And how deep does this tangled web of power, betrayal, and scandal really go?
The explosive clash between Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch has escalated into a high-stakes $10 billion defamation lawsuit, revealing fractures in one of America’s most influential power alliances. At the center lies a reported “bawdy” 2003 birthday letter allegedly sent by Trump to Jeffrey Epstein for the financier’s 50th birthday. Compiled in a leather-bound album by Ghislaine Maxwell, the letter supposedly featured a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman and suggestive references to shared “secrets.” Trump vehemently denies authoring it, branding the document a forgery. He claims he personally urged Murdoch—whom he once called a “very good friend”—to kill the story before The Wall Street Journal published it in July 2025. Murdoch let it run anyway.
The fallout was swift. Trump filed suit in federal court in Miami against Murdoch, News Corp, Dow Jones, and WSJ reporters, alleging malicious falsehoods that inflicted massive reputational and financial damage. Court filings describe Trump’s direct intervention: calls to Murdoch and the paper’s editor, warnings that the letter was “fake,” and pleas to suppress publication. Yet the Journal stood by its reporting, later moving to dismiss the case while defending its accuracy. Adding fuel, a photo of the alleged letter surfaced publicly, bearing what appears to be Trump’s signature—though he maintains it’s fabricated, possibly even produced via autopen or forgery.
This feud gains darker undertones when examining Epstein’s infamous “little black book,” the 97-page contact directory seized in investigations and leaked online. Among its 1,571 elite entries—spanning politicians, celebrities, and tycoons—Rupert Murdoch himself appears, complete with two personal phone numbers: one New York, one California. Epstein’s book, annotated with circles and stars around key names (including Trump, Prince Andrew, and Bill Clinton), was no casual Rolodex. Compiled partly by Maxwell, it captured Epstein’s web of influence peddling and social engineering.
What leverage might Epstein have held over Murdoch? The media emperor built an empire on controlling narratives through Fox News, the WSJ, and beyond. Epstein, a master manipulator, cultivated ties with powerful figures for access, favors, and protection. Murdoch’s listing suggests at least superficial contact—perhaps business dinners, philanthropic overlaps, or shared social circles in New York and Palm Beach. No public evidence ties Murdoch to Epstein’s crimes, but the association raises questions about what conversations occurred, what introductions were made, and whether any compromising material ever changed hands.
The irony is palpable: Murdoch’s outlets have long amplified Trump’s voice, yet here the mogul’s journalistic arm exposed a vulnerability, prompting retaliation. Even amid litigation, reports emerged of Trump hosting Murdoch for White House dinner—old habits of mutual utility die hard. This tangled web—power, media control, scandal, and betrayal—exposes how fragile alliances among titans can shatter when secrets resurface. As depositions loom and discovery unfolds, the $10 billion war may unearth more than just a disputed letter; it could illuminate the shadowy intersections where billionaires, presidents, and predators once mingled freely.
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