A unique court case has begun in Nevada this week. At stake is the future of the Murdoch empire and the decision about his succession plan.

Rupert Murdoch looked frazzled but defiant. We were having what was supposed to be a friendly coffee, but this was 2006 and he was under siege from bankers who were trying to cope with his financial over-reach.

Thanks to billionaire Rupert Murdoch’s outsize personality, his vast sway within the news industry and his role as a kingmaker in conservative politics, there’s long been heightened interest in his megadeals,