Inside the incredible life of Sumner Redstone

The explosive billionaire media mogul might have been the inspiration for Succession — but the truth is stranger than any fiction

Words: Harry Shukman

What a night for Sumner Redstone! February 1992, down at an executive retreat in Key West, Florida, where the tequila always flows. There he is, the media emperor himself, Mr Redstone – once derided by his rivals as “that peasant from Boston” – now holding court with his top guys at the Viva Zapata club. This young man of 68 is knocking back shots and roaring about the success of MTV, the hottest stud in his stable of television channels at Viacom.

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