Rupert Murdoch stepping down is 'the real Succession ending'

21 September 2023 , 14:43

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Rupert Murdoch's decision to pass the company to his son has people reminded of Succession

As media mogul Rupert Murdoch steps down as Fox and News Corps chairman, fans of HBO's Succession are noting similarities between fiction and real life.

The 92-year-old announced on Thursday morning that he would be stepping down and named a new chairman for both Fox and News Corps. He's appointed his son Lachlan as the "sole Chairman of both companies." Twitter users quickly noticed the similarity between this media dynasty and the fictional Roy family on the hit TV series Succession.

While it's alleged that the characters of the show are loosely based on the Murdoch family and other wealthy family dynasties, this real-life news story seems to mirror the finale episode of Succession in some ways.

The Murdoch family loosely inspired the Roy family (Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

On the show, patriarch and chairman of the Waystar RoyCo company, Logan Roy, played by Brian Cox, dies while aboard his private jet. With the role left open, fans were on the edge of their seats to see who would take over the company.

Fans hoped for their favourite, Kendall Roy, played by Jeremy Strong, to take over the company. But, spoiler alert, it goes to Tom Wambsgan, the husband of Kendall's sister Shiv. Kendall was heartbroken by the decision, leading fans to be glad that the eldest son gets to take over the Murdoch line in real life. "In the end, Kendall Roy wins real-life Succession," one person tweeted.

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Social media has been full of reactions to Rupert stepping down and comparing it to the Emmy award-winning show. Users are saying that the news is a "succession reboot" or "sequel," with some calling the show a "documentary."

Rupert is stepping down and giving his roles to his son (Getty Images)

"The Murdoch family while watching the HBO show that's kind of about them," one person tweeted along with a GIF of Mark Cuban on Shark Tank writing things down.

Another noticed that the show ended this year in May, and just a few months later Rupert stepped down. "Not Succession and the real-life Succession ending in the same year," they tweeted.

Even Twitter users who never saw the show made a connection. Someone said: "Me (guy who has never seen Succession but knows the bare bones of what it’s about): Wow, this is exactly like that show Succession."

In a memo to employees Thursday, Rupert wrote about his decision to pass the companies to his son, Lachlan. "“For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change,” he said, “But the time is right for me to take on different roles, knowing that we have truly talented teams and a passionate, principled leader in Lachlan who will become sole Chairman of both companies.”

Tatiana Krisztina