Shiv Was Never Going To Be CEO

Central Argument

The video argues that Shiv Roy was never truly going to become CEO of Waystar Royco—not because she lacked intelligence or ability, but because she was trying to win power inside a family dynasty that favored sons and kept her dependent on men’s approval.

Logan’s Promise

At first, Shiv seems to have built an independent path as a political consultant for Gil Eavis, away from her brothers’ fight over Waystar. But Logan’s offer to make her his successor pulls her back in.

The narrator sees the promise as a leash: Logan spots Shiv’s ambition and uses it to draw her away from politics, while keeping the succession secret and postponing any formal commitment. Once Shiv believes the job is hers, she starts acting like the CEO before she has the role—and Logan eventually looks elsewhere.

Shiv and Tom

The essay also examines Shiv’s marriage to Tom. She chose someone she thought was safe and easy to control, while Tom accepted an open marriage and her many jabs because he wanted access to the Roy inner circle.

Their balcony fight reveals that Tom genuinely loves her, but is also hungry for status. When he betrays Shiv, she discovers that the supposedly harmless “sponge” can be cunning—and that loyalty to the family’s power structure may matter more to him than loyalty to her. The narrator jokes that Tom is less a “cuck” than simply “a loser,” then later calls him a “pain sponge”—the very quality that helps him land the CEO job.

The Double Standard

Shiv faces a double standard: Kendall and Roman make serious mistakes, but her missteps are often treated as proof that she was never ready.

The video acknowledges that Shiv is sharp and capable while also criticizing her arrogance, secrecy, tendency to underestimate people, and habit of treating Tom as a tool—much as Logan treats her. She is disadvantaged by the patriarchal hierarchy, the narrator argues, but she also keeps seeking approval from the men who uphold it.

Shiv, Matsson, and the Finale

In season four, Shiv tries again to secure power through Lukas Matsson, the tech billionaire acquiring Waystar. She thinks she can win his support, but he controls the company and has little reason to make her CEO. Instead, he chooses Tom as a compliant front man. The irony, the narrator points out, is that Shiv helped direct Matsson’s attention to Tom by describing him as harmless.

The finale brings Shiv’s most painful choice: after agreeing with her brothers to block the sale and make Kendall CEO, she changes her vote and allows the deal to go through. The video suggests she wants to stay close to power, while recognizing that her motives could also involve distrust of Kendall, resentment, or concern for her child’s future.

The result is that Tom becomes CEO and Shiv’s status remains tied to a man. The narrator questions whether this is “equality” or a meaningful victory for Shiv, jokingly wondering whether Matsson might one day reverse course and make her CEO after all.

Personalities Discussed or Featured

Shiv Roy, Logan Roy, Tom Wambsgans, Kendall Roy, Roman Roy, Lukas Matsson, Gil Eavis, Gerri Kellman, Sarah Snook, Jesse Armstrong, and the video’s narrator.