The shocking inside story of the struggle for power and control of Paramount, the multibillion 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 – the media empire that includes Viacom, CBS, and Simon & Schuster – hung precariously in the balance. Its founder and head, 93 year old Sumner Redstone, was facing a very public lawsuit brought by a former romantic companion, Manuela Herzer—she, along with another of his girlfriends, Sydney Holland, had tried to influence the aging media mogul to cut off his own family and hand over his bank accounts and controlling shares. After their machinations came to light, Herzer was excised from the will, and Sumner’s daughter, Shari Redstone, took charge of her father’s care.