Logan Roy’s D/e/a/th In Succession Caused Real-Life Inspiration Family To Plan For Their Father’s D/e/a/th In Secret

The Murdoch family, who provided the inspiration for Roy family in Succession, were influenced by the show to make secret plans to prepare for the death of their patriarch, Rupert Murdoch. The hit HBO show sees the Roy family empire cast into disarray following the unexpected death of patriarch Logan, with no successor in place. The company, Waystar RoyCo, sees its stock plummet and a planned lucrative takeover is jeopardized, all while in-fighting among the siblings sets the family on a collision course with professional disaster.

A New York Times article about the legal maneuvering of the Murdoch children, including Prudence, Elizabeth, Lachlan, and James, alongside 93-year-old Rupert, revealed an interesting fact about Succession’s real-life impact. Reportedly, the Murdoch children held secret talks in April 2023 to discuss their response in the event of their father’s death. This was directly inspired by the chaotic Succession season 4 episode in which Logan dies suddenly on board his private jet, with Elizabeth’s representative having even written a “Succession memo” outlining their planned response.

What This Means for Succession’s Murdoch Link

This is an interesting story that has many layers to it, and the fact that the Murdochs were inspired into action by the events of the show is ironic. Every season of Succession serves as a black-comedy satire of wealthy media families, taking the Murdochs, as well as the Redstones, Maxwells, and Sulzbergers as inspiration. It is even more intriguing as the family has had a seemingly fractious relationship with the show, with Rupert Murdoch claiming never to have seen it, while his ex-wife Jerry Hall was barred from contacting the show in the aftermath of their divorce.

The last thing the Murdochs will want is for the company to suffer the same fate Waystar RoyCo does in the Succession series finale.

However, there have been some reported rumors that some in the family found Succession to be interesting and amusing, and the fact it is being referenced in a legal process involving the family would suggest some members have watched at least some of Succession’s best episodes. Handling the death of a loved one is never easy, and it’s even harder when they are a prominent public figure, and their death impacts multi-million dollar companies and investments globally.

Our Verdict On Succession’s Future Influence

While it’s unlikely the Murdochs would publicly admit to doing so, it is possible they might have watched the show, and may even have taken areas of influence from the show in other facets of the family’s future. With the children set to inherit the company, they will doubtless have conflicting ideas to their father about the way its future should be handled, in much the same way as the Roy siblings. The last thing the Murdochs will want is for the company to suffer the same fate Waystar RoyCo does in the Succession series finale.