As fans of HBO’s award-winning Succession watch the finale of the show, we hear about the real life succession battle that inspired it: the Murdochs.
Although the writers have drawn inspiration from various business dynasties for the show, the parallels to the Murdoch family are clear. It’s been reported that in Rupert Murdoch’s divorce settlement, Jerry Hall was told she could not feed storylines to the show’s writers.
Paddy Manning, the author of The Successor: The High-Stakes Life of Lachlan Murdoch, tells Michael Safi how the 92-year-old Rupert Murdoch’s determination not to retire any time soon could mean a dramatic succession battle after he passes away. Manning explains why he believes the siblings are unlikely to support the media mogul’s chosen successor, his eldest son, Lachlan.
Photograph: Karwai Tang/WireImage
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