The HBO series Succession held the attention of millions of viewers across four seasons. If you have not yet watched it, we highly recommend it: it is a masterclass in what not to do. The central storyline is every family business owner's nightmare: Logan Roy, patriarch of a media empire, dies without having formally structured the transition of his estate. 

The result is chaos. The siblings become entangled in bitter disputes, and control of the family business ultimately passes to an opportunistic outsider. What is remarkable is that this outcome was entirely avoidable. 

Logan Roy's mistakes are not fiction. They reflect real situations we encounter regularly among high-net-worth families who delay formal planning. 

Below, we examine the four fatal errors of the Roys and how a trust would have addressed each one. 

Error 1: The Ambiguous Document (A Paper Worth Nothing) 

What happened in the series: After Logan's death, a handwritten note surfaces, undated and without witnesses, in which his son Kendall's name appears to be written as his designated successor. The problem is that the name is either underlined or crossed out; no one can determine which was intended, and the document is legally worthless. That single piece of paper becomes the fuel for a full-scale family war. 

The fiduciary solution: A trust would have eliminated the guesswork from the outset by establishing written, formal, and legally enforceable instructions. 

• There is no ambiguity as to who receives what, or under what conditions. 

• The instrument is binding and protects the settlor's intentions against post-mortem reinterpretation. 

Error 2: Verbal Promises (Words That Leave No Trace) 

What happened in the series: It emerges that Logan verbally promised Kendall, from the age of seven, that he would one day become CEO. Kendall built his entire life around that promise. Yet Logan never reduced it to writing, and made similar and contradictory promises to his other children. In the end, each sibling believed they had a legitimate claim, but none had any evidence. 

The fiduciary solution: Verbal promises carry no legal weight. In a trust, distribution decisions are formally documented. If the settlor changes their mind, as Logan frequently did, the change is made by way of a formal amendment to the trust deed. There is no room for "he said, she said" or misunderstanding. 

Error 3: No Neutral Arbiter 

What happened in the series: Logan managed everything personally until his death, without designating a neutral executor. In the power vacuum that followed, the siblings competed so destructively that the company ended up in the hands of Tom, the son-in-law. None of the siblings was in a position to lead the transition, as each had a direct conflict of interest. 

The fiduciary solution: This is precisely where institutions such as Assets Trust become relevant. We act as your professional, neutral trustee. We execute the settlor's instructions without favouritism and without the emotional pressures that cloud the judgement of family members, ensuring that the distribution of the estate proceeds in an orderly manner rather than becoming a battleground. 

Error 4: Lack of Transparency and False Expectations 

What happened in the series: Logan manipulated his children through selective disclosure. Connor, the eldest son, never understood why he had been excluded. This opacity generated unrealistic expectations that, when confronted with reality after their father's death, destroyed the relationship among the siblings. 

Logan's other two children fared no better. Both Siobhan "Shiv" Roy and the youngest, Roman Roy, were on the receiving end of their father's vague and manipulative hints about potentially being named CEO of Waystar Royco, the fictional global media conglomerate Logan had built. 

The fiduciary solution: A trust, together with ancillary instruments, would have allowed the settlor to establish clearly defined conditions or benchmarks to determine which, if any, of his children was best suited to lead the company following his retirement. The critical point is that those expectations would have been formally documented and communicated in advance, preventing the shock and resentment that followed. 

Conclusion: Drama Belongs on Television, Not in Your Family 

Succession is compelling television precisely because chaos makes for good viewing. But within a family, that same chaos produces the destruction of relationships and the erosion of wealth. 

Logan Roy built an empire, but he failed at his most important task: ensuring that the empire would survive his death without destroying his children in the process. A trust does not guarantee a perfect family, but it does ensure that the settlor's decisions are respected and professionally carried out. 

The series ends with Shiv voting against Kendall, which results in Lukas Mattson acquiring control of the conglomerate. Mattson then names Tom, Shiv's husband, as the new CEO, sealing Shiv's fate as the CEO's wife rather than a leader in her own right. 

Do not repeat Logan's mistakes. Seek the professional guidance that Assets Trust provides.