Pressure from Murdoch’s Daughter, Saudi Prince Helped Push Out Rebekah Brooks

Rebekah Brooks had at least two prominent enemies at News Corp. which likely prompted her departure as chief executive of News International, the UK company that is embroiled in a huge phone-hacking scandal.

One is a wealthy Arab prince who happens to be the second-largest shareholder in News Corp., the parent corporation of News International; the other is the daughter of the boss, Rupert Murdoch.

According to British media reports, Elisabeth Murdoch privately criticized Brooks for her handling of the phone-hacking affair
Miss Murdoch, 42, who is about to become a member of the board of directors of News Corp, reportedly told friends that Brooks had “f----- the company.

Up until now, the Murdoch family has expressed nothing but support fort Brooks, particularly Rupert and his son, James, the chairman of News International.

Elisabeth Murdoch is a former managing director of British Sky Broadcasting, the satellite TV company for which Rupert was thwarted from acquiring total control of. She left her father’s media conglomerate in 2000 to form her own media company, but recently returned when News Corp. bought out her production firm, Shine.

Separately, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal Al Saud, told BBC that Brooks was obligated to resign if it emerged that phone-hacking did indeed occur during her tenure at News of the World.

I will not accept to deal with a company that has a lady or a man that has any sliver of doubts on her or his integrity, he said.

Talal Al Saud owns 7 percent of News Corp.