What the misery of "Succession" says about inherited wealth

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     June 5, 2023 It's hard to feel sorry for people so obscenely rich. But one of the many things that made Succession so brilliant is how it made such unlikely empathy possible, at least at times, while also consistently demonstrating the awfulness of the Roy children. My colleague Mike Mechanic has a great piece unpacking some of those conflicting dynamics, specifically when it comes to [the profound unhappiness]( that comes with unearned, enormous wealth and privilege and the different ways in which the creators of that wealth affect those who inherit it. Think of that final scene of Kendall Roy standing above the New York Harbor. It might as well be the indelible image of capitalist misery. Perhaps the saddest and most telling moment of the Succession finale takes place in a conference room where Kendall Roy, scion of the recently departed media mogul Logan Roy, begs his sister, Shiv, to sink a pending acquisition bid and let him take over their dad’s corporate empire instead. They are adult children rich beyond imagination, yet not one of them has ever really developed an identity distinct from their all-consuming father. I recognized this malaise from the two years I spent talking with ultrawealthy people and their heirs and minions for my 2021 book about [runaway wealth in America](. But as Mike writes, there is hope for the offspring of rich families. You'll have to read how one woman, by doing "[what the Roy children never could bring themselves to do](," finally achieved happiness. —Inae Oh Advertisement [Brennan Center for Justice]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [What the Misery of Logan Roy’s Offspring Says About Inherited Wealth]( Be careful what you wish for. BY MICHAEL MECHANIC SPONSORED CONTENT BY BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE   Available Now: The Supermajority: How the Supreme Court Divided America Nine unelected justices are rapidly upending American life. The Supreme Court crammed decades of social change into just three days last June. It’s poised to do it again. In “The Supermajority,” Brennan Center President Michael Waldman shows how we got here and what we can do to protect our democracy. [Order now.]( [Trending] [Joe Manchin isn't ruling out a 2024 run for president]( BY JACKIE FLYNN MOGENSEN   [Tennessee's ban on drag shows is unconstitutional, judge rules]( BY PEMA LEVY   [Nikki Haley blames trans kids in locker rooms for teen suicides]( BY ARIANNA COGHILL   [Fort Bragg becomes "Fort Liberty," ditching its Confederate namesake]( BY PEMA LEVY Advertisement [Brennan Center for Justice]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [Supreme Court's wetlands ruling defies "scientific understanding"]( It excludes bodies of water federal law "has always been interpreted to cover.” BY EMILY BENSON [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755