Many South Floridians recall Sumner Redstone as the feisty billionaire entertainment mogul who snapped up Fort Lauderdale’s Blockbuster Entertainment and folded it into his Viacom media/entertainment empire.
But lately, the 93-year-old Redstone has been portrayed as anything but strong and outspoken. He has lost some of the mobility in his jaw, does not walk easily, and has around-the-clock staff to help him move. Yet Redstone publicly had said that he would never retire nor make succession plans for Viacom, in which he owns a controlling stake. Meanwhile, his competency has been called into question in lawsuits that claim he lacked the mental capacity for certain recent business decisions.