During the challenging years of the 1970s and 1980s, an Irish personality, Michael Smurfit, was distinctly visible championing the worldwide arena with unflinching assurance. This exclusive group also comprised of Charles Haughey and U2, but not many more.
Smurfit, much like Bono, got widespread appreciation, though wasn’t universally adored. In ‘Michael Smurfit: Succession’, a Monday programme on RTÉ One at 9.35pm, there are clear glimpses of that unrelenting spirit that rocketed his net worth to over €350 million, making him a somewhat polarising figure.
Smurfit’s unsentimental outlook was infamously showcased in an interview from the ’80s where, in the wake of the havoc following his appointment as the chair of Telecom Éireann, he asserted to RTÉ that no one is inherently entitled to a job.
This might not be hard to say when you have taken over your father’s packaging enterprise and your elite education comprised of a spell with the Jesuits at the selective Clongowes Wood (“I was merely a piece in his master plan,” he said referring to his elder Smurfit). However, ‘Succession’ does not aim to criticise Smurfit; rather it glorifies his achievements of converting his father’s sizeable business into a worldwide giant.
Smurfit, now aged 88, resides in Monaco. He attributes his sustained physical wellbeing and cognitive sharpness to his love for luxurious Bordeaux wine. His top pick is the €5,000-a-bottle Château Pétrus. However, the gossip that he reserves the economical wine for his acquaintances at festive events, while keeping the premium one for himself, is disputed by his friends and kin.
He presents himself as a puzzle. He is not the typical domineering executive like his once ally, Donald Trump (Smurfit was an initial investor in Trump Tower in New York).
However, he is also not the pleasant individual who surprisingly attained success. He proved his ruthlessness when needed. As an example, during his expansion into America by acquiring US-based Container Corporation, he made thousands redundant (beginning with the legal team).
His ruthless approach continued at the stagnating Telecom Éireann, following a persuasion by then Prime Minister Jack Lynch for him to lead. Smurfit recalls his aim was to increase job cuts due to excessive staffing, not to raise employment levels.
This lack of sentimentality was also evident in his personal matters, as he somewhat acknowledges. He recollects the moment he informed his first spouse, Norma, over a meal that he intended to leave her for his future second wife, Birgitta Beimark. He recalls that “Norma assumed it was April Fool’s Day and drenched me in wine.”
The image that becomes apparent is of a diligent entrepreneur with a hint of vanity. Currently, he introduces himself as “Dr Smurfit,” after being awarded several honorary doctorates (in addition to the Legion of Honour from France and a British knighthood). He also appreciates luxury. In Monaco, he leads an opulent life, including owning a €20 million yacht named after his mother, Lady Ann Magee. He states, “It’s a sanctuary of absolute privacy. You enjoy solitude on the open sea.”
His keenness for acknowledgments led to an entertaining competition with another successful Irish businessman, Tony O’Reilly. O’Reilly demanded to be referred to as “Sir” Anthony in the Irish Independent, explicitly stating that Smurfit was not to be given any title. A humorous glimpse into the lives of millionaires – they share our peculiarities too!
There’s a notable list of individuals ready to offer their viewpoint in this profile, like entrepreneur Denis O’Brien and journos Matt Cooper and Justine McCarthy, alongside members of Smurfit’s family – his sibling, Dermot, and his offspring Tony who’s currently the CEO of Smurfit Kappa. This piece is enthralling, even if the title obscures the true story, making a playful allusion to HBO’s “Succession,” a tale of familial conflict within a global media corporation.
However, the atmosphere at Smurfit’s paper-based empire differs greatly. He received the firm handed down by his progenitor, Jefferson, sans scandal, and likewise, bequeathed it to his heir without any hitch. In this scenario, he’s quite dissimilar to Logan Roy, the brute billionaire from Succession. Smurfit carries himself with mild manners and displays a reflective disposition, yet he possesses a strong sense of focus and ruthlessness. All these traits are skillfully encapsulated by RTÉ, even though the final outcome leans more towards a glorifying biography than an unvarnished depiction.