[pip08456]

Originally Posted by Horizon

Murdoch controls Sky and always has. I've had similar discussions about John Malone on this forum, as some people believe he doesn't control his companies based on his shareholdings.

It's the difference between "De Facto" control and "De Jure" control.

De Facto means "in effect", the reality on the ground, whereas De Jure means "in accordance with the law".

Murdoch and Malone have de facto control of their companies, if not necessarily de jure control, full legal ownership. This is done through numerous ways, including their large shareholdings. But they also control their boards, so even if some directors may "legally" be independent, they're not. They take their orders from the media moguls.

It will bore everyone to death if I talk in detail on here about the BSB and Sky merger, and besides you can google it the same as I. But, from the merger onwards, Murdoch had de facto control of the merged company, just not full legal ownership, de jeure, which he will now have.

Murdoch, is, in effect, selling his own company to himself.

I look forward to your more extensive missive. The only de facto holdings the Murdoch family have had in Sky since 2011 is via their 20th Century Fox holdings of 39%, If you can prove otherwise then please do so.