Rupert Murdoch joins Trump at royal dinner amid $20B lawsuit over Epstein letter

WINDSOR CASTLE, UK: During his royal dinner, President Donald Trump was surprised to find Rupert Murdoch at the end of the table.

At the grand finale of Trump’s state visit to the UK on September 17, Murdoch, seated at the end of the table, stood out in the lavish dinner. The Wall Street Journal owner is being sued by Trump for publishing a birthday letter given to Jeffry Epstein bearing Trump’s name. 

Trump, however, denied that it was his signature and, at the time of the report, personally threatened Murdoch with a lawsuit if he published it. The journal, however, published it, prompting Trump to file a lawsuit against him, whom he once considered “a close friend”, seeking $20 billion in damages and Murdoch’s testimony.

Trump and Rupert Murdoch attend royal dinner despite legal battle

Despite the tensions, Murdoch attended the dinner along with his wife Elena, underscoring the complex intersection of personal disputes with diplomacy and international relations. 

The dinner was a lavish display of royal tradition prepared by over 100 staff members. 

Over 160 elite guests were invited to the dinner, according to royal officials, compiled by the royal family and the White House. 

Elite business leaders and officials present at lavish dinner

The guests included high-profile business leaders like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman, and Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan.

Trump was seated between King Charles III and Cathrine, Princess of Wales, while first lady Melina Trump was seated across the table with Queen Camilla and Prince William.

Other significant presences included US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who sat next to the Queen, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who attended with his wife.

Peter Mandelson, the British Ambassador to the US, who was recently dismissed in connection with the Jeffrey Epstein case, was notably absent. 

Scrutiny over Donald Trump's ties with Jeffrey Epstein continued during UK visit

A 2003 birthday card from Jeffrey Epstein's estate surfaced in September 2025, which included a card allegedly from Donald Trump that featured a hand-drawn drawing of a naked woman, a signature, along with a note wishing Epstein on his 50th Birthday. 

One of the documents released by the House Oversight Committee includes a playful exchange between Trump and Epstein, suggesting that both shared many things in common. Although the handwriting matches that of Trump, he has denied it, calling it fake, which led to the lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal. 

During Trump’s recent visit to the UK on 16 September, an image of him with Epstein was projected onto Windsor Castle, as part of the public protest, especially in the light of renewed scrutiny over the documents.