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Shari Redstone

David Ellison

Ellison’s Long Deleveraged Recap Journey Into Night

News and notes on the viability of David Ellison and Gerry Cardinale’s Paramount promises, plus Zaz’s stock conundrum.
William D. Cohan • August 10, 2025
Dylan Byers • July 25, 2025
Dirty Skydancing
Jeff Shell
While the media universe overanalyzes the free speech implications of the tediously drawn out Paramount-Skydance merger—the Colbert-Carr-‘South Park’ of it all—CBS rank and file are pondering a simpler question: Who’s gonna fix the evening news?
Dylan Byers • July 9, 2025
All Ellison’s Men
David Ellison
With its capitulation to Trump complete, Paramount’s merger with Skydance can finally proceed, leaving CBS News unmoored, if a little relieved, and questioning if its new owners secretly sweetened the settlement deal. Naturally, there are already rumblings about what David Ellison wants and expects from his news division.
Larry Ellison
Dylan Byers • June 25, 2025
I Now Pronounce You Donald & Larry
While the media world’s eyes are trained on the CBS–Trump settlement negotiations, and its impact on the Ellison family’s tortured acquisition of Paramount, Larry himself has his eyes on a bigger prize at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: TikTok and Stargate.
tim cook sun valley
Matthew Belloni • June 10, 2025
Sun Valley Mogul Retreat ’25: The Invite List
No Elon or Shari Redstone, but the annual Allen & Co. gathering of tech and media leaders will include Disney C.E.O. candidates, Apple’s Tim Cook, and three separate Murdochs, in addition to a who’s who of Silicon Valley players.
shari redstone
William D. Cohan • June 8, 2025
The Shari Nightmare Scenario
It’s not at all clear where Shari Redstone would come up with the $550 million she would owe her creditors if the Skydance-Paramount deal falls through—and the consequences are mind-boggling.
shari redstone
William D. Cohan • June 4, 2025
Another Day in Sharidise
So what happens if Shari Redstone can’t close her Paramount deal by the fall—as is becoming increasingly likely? A $300 million payment to the Ellisons, another $250 million to Byron Trott, the potential liquidation of National Amusements, and that’s only the start. (This is not investment advice.)
shari redstone
Eriq Gardner • June 3, 2025
Paramount’s Trump Settlement Calculus
A close look at why the Paramount board has yet to settle Donald Trump’s lawsuit against CBS and ‘60 Minutes’ when their $8 billion merger ostensibly hangs in the balance.
wendy mcmahon
Dylan Byers • May 21, 2025
McMahon Overboard
With the high-wire tensions between Paramount and the tormentor-in-chief at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, it’s easy to view the exit of CBS News C.E.O. Wendy McMahon as fourth-estate martyrdom. But maybe she just wasn’t very good at her job.
shari redstone
Dylan Byers • May 2, 2025
Passing Redstones
Facing a Trump lawsuit, massive debts, and a $400 million kill fee if the Skydance sale falls through, Redstone has privately discussed settling with the president for as much as $20 million. In fact, according to sources close to the company, she’ll likely have to pay much more. “Shari has to make this deal,” said one source close to the principals. “There is no plan B.”