Murdoch's money protects him even from princes.

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In the year “This is the most humbling day of my life,” Rupert Murdoch told MPs in 2011 when the newspaper’s phone hacking scandal unfolded. Thankfully, the days of the media rich, sack-clothed man didn’t last.

He was one of the select guests at Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. In the summer, as the UK election loomed, both Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak b His summer party. The intervening years are not counted as rehabilitation. Murdoch has had to pay well over $1 billion in costs and damages to victims of news organizations on both sides of the Atlantic who have been victims of criminality, industrial interference or malpractice.

Wednesday saw a last-minute settlement in a dramatic phone-hacking case against the company in Britain, a case with one victim insisting on his day in court. Prince Harry has taken it to the brink but himself with a settlement of what is believed to be heavy losses, an unprecedented apology and an admission of historic wrongdoing by private investigators working for The Sun – although he has denied any wrongdoing by senior officials.

Murdoch News Group newspapers, a subsidiary of News UK, have used their financial leverage to settle at least 1,300 cases out of court, avoiding self-damaging revelations and questions. The UK civil courts exist not to disclose information, but to provide redress. The rules encourage settlement by imposing potential costs on the winning plaintiff if they go to trial and do not secure more than a pre-settled settlement. Those who want to fight will face impossible dangers. Actor last year EmbraceGrant was reluctant to do so, saying that failure to do so could expose him to millions in legal fees.

For the Duke of Sussex – and his co-accused, former Deputy Leader of Labor Lord Tom Watson – it really wasn’t about the money. They hope the trial will reveal new revelations about Murdoch executives’ illegal use of private investigators and the company’s efforts to control the scandal. That possibility is now denied. NGN’s strategy worked despite Duque’s “major victory”. A lot of money has been spent trying to keep these cases from going to trial. Finally, he could not resist financial risks.

After the settlement, Prince Harry’s lawyer, David Sherborne, said that NGN had “deleted more than 30 million emails and made false denials”. They faced “more than £1 billion in fees and costs”. Sherborne added that the claimants were “hard-armed to settle without getting to the truth”. NGN’s lawyers strongly dispute the cover-up proposals and always say the cancellations are part of a broader housekeeping process.

A similar method of payment to avoid the daylight of a court case implemented in the US. In the year In 2023, Fox News paid $787 million to settle a defamation lawsuit against Dominion Voting Systems over false claims that it engaged in voter fraud in the 2020 election. At the heart of the scandal was concern that Fox’s failure to support Trump’s allegations of fraud would drive viewers to more conservative channels. After the deal, Fox joked: “This deal demonstrates Fox’s continued commitment to the highest standards of journalism.”

No wonder Murdoch is still welcome in Trump’s circle. But he is still in court in the United Kingdom. The Tories protested media corruption and the government’s press law, reporting part two of the public inquiry. Starmer followed that line and challenged Murdoch in opposition. The Sun backed Starmer in the election – although perhaps victory seemed inevitable.

Murdoch has since sold his stake in Sky TV, handing over formal management of the businesses to his eldest son Lachlan. Rebecca Brooks, the former editor of The Sun and News of the World – and the company’s chief executive – is now chief executive of UK parent company News UK.

Many despise Murdoch for his politics and influence, though few would dispute his brilliance as a business and newspaper man. But the bottom line here is that the settlements have obscured puzzling questions about the company’s actions. Journalist Nick Davis, who broke the scandal, has detailed the issues arising from the memos in stunning detail.Minutes, emails and documents have now been released to the court before the cases were resolvedWorrying about them is only one side of the story.

Murdoch’s businesses have spent huge sums to avoid further public scrutiny. The maximum risk of their bet has passed and this latest furore will decrease. The only hope for full transparency now is for the police to re-open the new documents and the accountability issues raised by Sherborne and others at the top of the company, including former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The police did not identify themselves in the initial inquiries and there are questions to be resolved. Only if a new diagnosis is confirmed can it really be a victory.

Otherwise, there can only be one conclusion. According to the Buchanans of The Great Gatsby, Murdoch’s businesses are able to destroy lives and retreat to their finances. He and his executors remain unbowed; Crushed and crawled. The warrior prince won over many, but in the end, even he could not pay the full price of justice.

robert.shrimsley@ft.com