"Kendall has officially won Succession": Hilarious Rupert Murdoch and Succession memes erupt as media mogul steps down

Rupert Murdoch, the conservative Australian-born American business magnate, has decided to retire from the position of chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp. Murdoch announced on Wednesday, September 21, 2023, that his eldest son Lachlan Murdoch would become the sole chairman of both firms, as per NPR.

Fans are comparing Murdoch's decision to choose Lachlan as his successor to the characters of HBO's Succession which aired between June 3, 2018, to May 28, 2023.

In the series, the rich mogul Logan Roy also underlined the name of his son, Kendall Roy, indicating that he was the presumed heir of Waystar Royco. Although, Kendall fails to win at Succession, netizens are treating the Murdoch family news as a real-life adaptation of the series with one person even saying:

A fan quips about Kendall Roy finally winning succession. (Image via Twitter/@HighyieldHarry)

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Rupert Murdoch steps down from chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp.

Rupert Murdoch has reportedly decided to step down as chairman of the two organizations. Fox Corp. announced in a release that Murdoch would still be part of his two companies as chairman emeritus starting in mid-November.

In a six-paragraph statement to his employees, Rupert told his employees that for the entirety of his professional life, he had been "engaged daily with news and ideas." He said that while that wouldn't change, the time was right for him to take on different roles.

"In my new role, I can guarantee you that I will be involved every day in the contest of ideas," Murdoch's statement read.

As per NPR, Rupert Murdoch's oldest son, Lachlan Murdoch will take his place as sole chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp. Lachlan celebrated his father's career in a statement congratulating Rupert on his "remarkable 70-year-career.

"We thank him for his vision, his pioneering spirit, his steadfast determination, and the enduring legacy he leaves to the companies he founded and countless people he has impacted," Lachlan said.

Netizens are pointing out the similarities between the Succession series and Rupert Murdoch's news. While some said that it reminded them too much of Succession, others said that unlike the fictional Roy characters, Lachlan knew how to "play the game."

In the series, Logan decided to retire, pitting his four children, Kendall, Connor, Roman, and Siobhan against each other. Although Kendall does not win and become the successor, fans compared his story to Lachlan Murdoch's and said that he finally reached a happy ending.

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Similarities between the Murdoch father and son duo and the Roy family

Succession's showrunner Jesse Armstrong has reported to HBO that the show is an adaptation of events from various media families. These include "the Hearsts, Redstone, John Malone, Robert Fitz of Comcast, Murdoch, and Robert and Rebekah Mercer, who founded Breitbart." However, fans have always particularly made connections between the Murdoch Family and the HBO series.

In the show, Logan Roy (played by Brian Cox), pits his children against each other much like the patriarch, Rupert Murdoch. According to Newsweek, James Murdoch, Lachlan's younger brother was also in competition with him for the empire.

CNN Business has described Rupert Murdoch as "a ruthless businessman who confronts competition by buying them or running them out of business." The fictional character, Logan resembles the media mogul in that aspect, as per Style Magazine.

Rupert Murdoch's successor, Lachlan Murdoch's life is also eerily similar to Kenall Murdoch, the presumed heir to Waystar Royco and fan favourite. Lachlan, too, was heir apparent to the Fox empire but briefly stepped away due to internal disagreements.

He focused on his own company, Illyria, before returning to his father's business as the non-executive co-chairman of News Corporation and 21st Century Fox, according to Bloomberg.

As per NPR, Lachlan Murdoch ascended to the role of chairman of the Fox organization after a power struggle with his brother James Murdoch. All four of Rupert Murdoch's children including daughters Prudence and Elisabeth own shares in the family trust and have a sway over the multiple companies.