Society & Culture

Inheritance: Fiat

by BBC World Service

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About the show

When you’re born into a powerful business dynasty, what comes first: the family or the firm? And when it comes to passing on control, who gets the top job? Inheritance explores the family dramas behind some of the world's biggest businesses. In this 10-part series from the BBC World Service, we look behind closed doors- inside the billion-dollar deals and the family power struggles that shape global empires. Latest season: Fiat. The Agnelli family is the equivalent of Italian royalty. Its influence extends far beyond business into politics, sport, culture and Italy's national identity. But when the family is hit by a series of tragedies, it causes a fracture that will echo down the generations. Previously on Inheritance: Samsung. When the Samsung chairman has a heart attack, his heir is pushed into the spotlight. The complex manoeuvring to secure his succession re-opens old family wounds, prompts one of the biggest scandals in South Korea’s history, and – eventually – helps to bring down a president.