Billionaire business mogul Rupert Murdoch lost a bid this week to change a family trust to consolidate control of his media company around his eldest son Lachlan.

A Nevada commissioner ruled against Murdoch on Monday, the New York Times reported, writing the elder Murdoch had acted in “bad faith” as his legal team sought to amend a family trust that currently divides control of the company among his four adult children.

Murdoch, 93, late last year ceded his position as executive chairman of Fox and News Corp to Lachlan, who now presides over a sprawling media empire that includes Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.

The commissioner's ruling will make it harder for Murdoch to shore up the conservative bend Fox and News Corp properties are known for and Lachlan has sought to uphold.

A lawyer for Murdoch told the Times he intends to appeal the ruling.