One of the pleasures of watching the final season of HBO’s media dynasty drama Succession was knowing that the Murdochs were obsessed with the show even as they professed not to watch it. In my May Vanity Fair cover story about the Murdochs—the inspiration for the fictional Roy clan—I reported that Rupert Murdoch’s divorce settlement with his fourth wife Jerry Hall mandated that Hall couldn’t give story ideas to the Succession writers. “Rupert and Lachlan hated the show,” a person close to the family told me.

Which is why it’s deliciously ironic that Rupert’s decision to retire last month and elevate his eldest son Lachlan to the throne was made to avoid the chaos that played out on Succession’s final season. Spoiler alert: In the acclaimed third episode, patriarch Logan Roy dies suddenly on his private jet without having named a successor. In a document found in Logan’s safe about who should take over, his second eldest son Kendall’s name is either underlined or crossed out, depending on how you interpreted the handwriting. The ambiguity creates a power vacuum that paralyzes the family and the company.

According to three sources close to the Murdochs, Rupert and Lachlan agreed Rupert should retire while he was alive to avoid a messy transfer of power as befell the Roys. “Lachlan’s message to Rupert was: You could drop dead on the job! There has to be a plan in place now,” said one of the sources briefed on the conversations. “Lachlan didn’t want his father to go, but it was more like, How long are we going to pretend you’re immortal?” As I’ve previously reported, Rupert’s health was buffeted by crises. In recent years, he was secretly hospitalized for a broken back, seizures, two bouts of pneumonia, atrial fibrillation, a torn Achilles tendon, and COVID-19.

According to the second source close to the family, Rupert first broached the idea of retirement to Lachlan two years ago. Since then, the two have had long conversations about the timing of the decision. The source added that Lachlan did not pressure Rupert to go. Rupert told Lachlan he wanted to step down before this year’s annual shareholder meeting. None of my sources said the decision was made because Lachlan and Rupert were reacting to the Succession plotline. “It’s more of a case where truth is stranger than fiction,” the first source said.

By retiring while still alive, Rupert has solidified his chosen heir’s place on the throne—for now. It’s harder to remove Lachlan when he’s been officially anointed by Rupert. But the ultimate future of the media empire will be decided by Rupert’s four adult children from his first and second marriages. As I’ve previously reported, Lachlan’s younger brother James wants Fox News to become a centrist and fact-based news network after Rupert’s death. But to topple Lachlan, James will need his older sisters Elisabeth and Prudence to support him. It’s too early to tell which way their votes would go. For now, at least, Lachlan is in charge.

A spokesperson for Fox Corp declined to comment.