The instant New York Times bestseller! "Addicted to Succession? Well, here's the real thing." - The Hollywood Reporter "Jaw-dropping... an epic tale of toxic wealth and greed populated by connivers and manipulators." -The New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice The shocking inside story of the struggle for power and control at Paramount Global, the multibillion-dollar entertainment empire controlled by the Redstone family and the dysfunction, misconduct and deceit that threatened the future of the company, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalists who first broke the news In 2016, the fate of Paramount Global-the multibillion-dollar entertainment empire that includes Paramount, Cbs, Mtv, Nickelodeon, Showtime and Simon & Schuster-hung precariously in the balance. Its founder and head, ninety-three-year-old Sumner M. Redstone, was facing a very public lawsuit brought by a former romantic companion, Manuela Herzer-a lawsuit that placed Sumner's deteriorating health and questionable judgment under a harsh light. As one of the last in a long line of all-powerful media moguls, Sumner had been a relentlessly demanding boss and an even more demanding father. When his daughter, Shari, took control of her father's business, she faced the hostility of boards and management who for years had heard Sumner disparage her.