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Home Malone

Master of the cable universe John Malone is giving up his seat on the board of Warner Bros. Discovery, where he’s been an unwaveringly patient, big-picture strategist. What does his departure mean, if anything, to the future of WBD or his mentee, David Zaslav?

John Malone
In a poetic bit of timing, John Malone’s announcement coincided with the revelation that Warner Bros. Discovery chief and Malone protégé David Zaslav saw his comp package increase by 4 percent, to $51.9 million, last year—a reward that reflects the company’s recent prioritization of cashflow over market valuation. Photo: Michael Kovac/Getty Images
Dylan Byers
April 11, 2025

On Friday, John Malone, the cable pioneer and Liberty Global chairman, announced that he would be stepping down from Warner Bros. Discovery’s board of directors and taking on a chairman emeritus role. The move, I’m told, had been in the cards for quite some time. Malone, who is 84, signaled his intention to begin unwinding his business back in November, spinning off some assets and dispensing with Liberty C.E.O. Greg Maffei in the process. As WBD’s chair emeritus, he will still attend board meetings and offer “strategic counsel.” But now he can Zoom into these meetings from his various ranches and estates, and has more freedom to trade the stock.