Will He Ever Let Go? Sumner Redstone Declares "I'll Be In Control After I Die"

Will He Ever Let Go? Sumner Redstone Declares "I'll Be In Control After I Die"

Sumner Redstone, the 84-year-old entertainment mogul who has voting control of CBS and Viacom (nyse: VIA - news - people ), was giving a speech at Boston University in September. A student in the audience asked: "What's uppermost in your mind every day?" Redstone was ready with a quip. "What's uppermost in my mind," he responded, "is the issue of whether I'm going to wake up tomorrow morning." Except that it wasn't just a quip. Redstone has been thinking a lot about death and estate planning lately. He has a firm grip on his empire right now, and he wants to rule it from the grave, too. "I'm in control now, and I'll be in control after I die," he declares.

He will, that is, if heirs, lawyers and corporate directors honor his wishes. They might not. If Redstone were to die tomorrow, a divisive and distracting legal fight could break out over the very control he so relishes.

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