Ned Johnson's daughter was once seen as the heiress apparent to the throne of Fidelity Investments. But in recent years, that has become an iffier proposition. This month, it looks almost remote. Edward Johnson III, the 77-year-old-CEO, appointed an outsider, Rodger Lawson, president of FMR. That, perhaps, pushed his daughter Abigail out of contention. It's a tough time for Fidelity obviously--for Abby, this has been another hit. She was lifted out of the top spot of the mutual fund business a few years ago, which had many people concluding that she wasn't a lock for the top spot. Right now you have to think that Lawson, to whom Abby now reports, is the leading contender. But Ned's not going away anytime soon. And the race is still on, as always.  

For more:
- here's a New York Times article