Ruth Bader Ginsburg award axed after family voiced outrage about it going to Musk and Murdoch

The award ceremony for theRuth Bader Ginsburg Award has been cancelled after family members of the late Supreme Court justice criticised the award for honouring SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Julie Opperman, the chairman of the Dwight D. Opperman Foundation that announced this year’s awardees,said in a statement that “the last thing we intended was to offend the family and friends of RBG.”

“Our purpose was only to remember her and to honor her leadership. And while we believe each of the honorees is worthy of our respect for their leadership and their notable contributions, the Foundation has decided that the planned ceremony in April 2024 will be canceled.”

The cancellation comes after the family members of Ginsburg, who served on the United States Supreme Court from 1993 until her death in 2020, slammed the award forannouncing honourees such as Mr Musk and Mr Murdoch.

Jim Ginsburg, the son of the late justice and founder of a classical music label, told CNNthat the award is a “desecration of my mother’s memory.”

“I don’t want to speak to what our other plans might be if the foundation doesn’t see the wisdom of desisting and ending this desecration of my mother’s memory, but I will say that we will continue to fight this,” Mr Ginsburg said.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a leader liberal on the Supreme Court, died in 2020

For the first time, the award has included men in the list—in fact, it has included four men—but has only honoured one woman, TV personality and businesswoman Martha Stewart.

The Opperman Foundation announced last week that the RBG Leadership award would honour Mr Musk, Mr Murdoch, Ms Stewart, actor Sylvester Stallone, and philanthropist and financier Michael Milken.

The Ginsburg family