Which Legacy
by Ruth Folger Weiss
Guess who said, albeit wistfully: “I’d like to be known as a loving and supportive father and grandfather.”?
‘Betcha you didn’t figure it was Sumner Redstone, chairman and controlling shareholder of Viacom and CBS, answering a reporter’s question about his legacy at an annual media conference in mid-March. Deeply immersed in an imbroglio with his daughter,Shari, the heretofore heir apparent’s future currently hangs in the wind. This closely follows litigation with his son, Brent, and other issues he’s been having with a nephew who attests he’s been cheated out of his share of the business.
Building a solid relationship with one’s family certainly takes years of loving and painstaking care; the very kind of keen attention to detail often touted by those successful in building empires. Healthy family relationship are truly miraculous. Wistful wishes aside; they don’t just happen.
