9 Unavoidable Succession Comparisons with the Murdoch Family

      Today marks the second anniversary of the conclusion of HBO's brilliant series Succession, a show that famously reflected and satirized the lives of the extravagantly wealthy.

      Fans of Succession often speculated that the Roy family in this Emmy-winning series was loosely inspired by the Murdoch family, led by News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch. The similarities between the Roys and the real-life media tycoons who own Fox News are striking.

      Succession's creator, Jesse Armstrong, has stated that he didn’t exclusively draw inspiration from the Murdochs, emphasizing that they were just one of many media families he considered while writing.

      "I penned the pilot by myself, so a lot of my own research and life experiences are woven into it," Armstrong remarked to HBO. "Then there’s the writing team, with everyone contributing based on their own stories and backgrounds. We thought about prominent media families like the Hearsts, as well as current figures like Redstone, John Malone, Robert Fitz of Comcast, Murdoch, and Robert and Rebekah Mercer, who started Breitbart.

      He added: “There are numerous real-life moguls we examined. We gathered various types of relationships we were familiar with. And like all creative individuals, you draw from an unexpectedly broad range of experiences from your own life. So, there were many sources.”

      However, the resemblances remain undeniable. As you read through the comparisons below, please note that they contain significant Succession spoilers.

      Logan Roy vs. Rupert Murdoch

      Brian Cox in Succession. Photograph by Peter Kramer/HBO – Credit: C/O

      This comparison is probably the most apparent. Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is an elderly, influential, foreign-born white man who controls a massive media enterprise with extensive assets, much like Rupert Murdoch. As reported by Vanity Fair, Murdoch, similar to Logan, has always hoped that one of his three children from his ex-wife Anna (Lachlan, James, and Elisabeth Murdoch) would take over the business after his death. However, selecting one has been challenging. This resonates with the plot of Succession.

      “He has set his kids against each other their entire lives. It's unfortunate,” a source close to the family recently revealed to Vanity Fair.

      There are also striking parallels between Rupert Murdoch's various health struggles and those of Logan. According to Vanity Fair, the now-94-year-old media titan experienced a severe health crisis while aboard his son's yacht, during which he "kept almost dying." The first season of Succession begins with Logan hospitalized and near death, while Episode 3 of Season 4 famously shows Logan Roy dying on a plane. (The episode was titled “Connor’s Wedding,” cleverly misdirecting viewers.)

      Fox News and News Corp. vs. ATN and Waystar Royco

      Matthew Mcfadyen, Dagmara Dominczyk in Succession. Photograph by Macall B. Polay/HBO – Credit: C/O

      The similarities between the Murdoch's company, News Corp., and the Roy's company, Waystar Royco, are so evident that they hardly need mentioning—yet I will mention them: Both are multi-billion dollar media conglomerates with foreign-born owners and right-leaning news outlets.

      Waystar's ATN is frequently likened to News Corp's Fox News, as both are exceedingly Republican-leaning and often face unpopularity among Democrats.

      Remember the heated exchange with the Bernie Sanders-aligned liberal candidate Gil Eavis at ATN in Succession? Yeah, it’s similar to that.

      Calling Wisconsin

      Nicholas Braun as Greg and Matthew Macfadyen as Tom in Succession. HBO – Credit: C/O

      In Season 4, Episode 8 of Succession, titled "America Decides," Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfayden) made a morally questionable decision to have ATN call presidential candidate Jeryd Mencken (Justin Kirk) the winner in Wisconsin, which enabled him to assert himself as the overall victor.

      This decision parallels Fox News's choice to call Arizona for Joe Biden during the 2020 election.

      Though Biden was ultimately confirmed as the winner, there remains debate about whether Fox News had sufficient information to make that call at the time.

      Kendall Roy vs. Lachlan Murdoch

      Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy in Season 3, Episode 8 of Succession. Photo Credit: Graeme Hunter/HBO – Credit: C/O

      Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) is Logan Roy's eldest son (though Connor, let's be honest, was never a candidate for succession). Lachlan Murdoch is Rupert Murdoch's eldest son. Vanity Fair reports that Lachlan is Rupert’s "favorite" and the one he prefers to succeed him. Sound familiar?

      Even though Kendall often challenges his father intentionally and aims to undermine him, it’s evident that he yearns for his father's affection and has learned that