Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy

By Rachel Abrams, James B Stewart, James B. Stewart

Book Overview

The instant New York Times bestseller - A New York Times Notable Book - Named a Best Book of the Year by The Economist - Nominated for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year Award

"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's entertainment empire 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, which placed Sumner's deteriorating health and questionable judgment under a harsh light.

As an all-powerful media mogul, Sumner had been a demanding boss, and an even more demanding father. When his daughter, Shari, took control of the business, she faced the hostility of boards who for years had heard Sumner disparage her. Les Moonves, the CEO of CBS, schemed with his allies on the board to strip Shari of power. But while he publicly battled Shari, news began to leak of Moonves's involvement in multiple instances of sexual misconduct, and he began working behind the scenes to try to make the stories disappear.

Unscripted is an explosive and unvarnished look at the usually secret inner workings of two public companies, their boards of directors, and a wealthy, dysfunctional family in the throes of seismic changes. From the Pulitzer Prize- winning journalists James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams, Unscripted lays bare the battle for power at any price--and the carnage that ensued.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1984879421
• ISBN13: 9781984879424
• Release Date: February 2023
• Publisher: Penguin Press
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.53 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.1" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Super Engrossing Tale of Family, Greed, and Lies

I read this in about two days. I just got sucked straight in. The twists and turns, the duplicity of the characters, the tawdriness of the whole thing. It's so compelling, and it's all true. UNSCRIPTED is the true story of Sumner Redstone and the Redstone family. Sumner was and remains one of the highest profile producers in Hollywood history, but his personal life is scandalous and messy. As he ages, a battle between his children over who will run the family business erupts, complicated by a pair of scheming mistresses and plotting underlings. Shari Redstone is the reluctant middle of it all, trying to preserve her father's legacy and maintain the family empire. There's a ton to like here. The writing has a beautiful blend of straight reporting telling a story fit for a pulp novel. I get a kick out of reading about bad people doing immoral things in the name of power and money and there is no shortage of that here. There's a clear bias toward the high powered Shari Redstone here, but that may be because the people around her are just so malicious. The obvious comparisons to the show SUCCESSION are not without merit. This is a really fun one, an ideal read for folks who love watching rich people do terrible things and savoring the resulting consequences.