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David Ellison

businesspersonalpoliticallegal
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Relationship to TrumpParamount chair with direct presidential accessbusiness · personal · political / 1 source

The Skydance founder who became chair and chief executive of Paramount Skydance after the FCC-approved merger and later appointed Bari Weiss to lead CBS News.

Paramount Skydance chair and chief executiveoffice / 2025-08-07–2026-08-04

Exact relationships

  1. media executive closely allied with Trumpbusinesspoliticalreported · alleged · documented · 9 files · 23 source references
  2. led buyer requiring Trump-era FCC approvalbusinesslegalpoliticaldocumented · 1 file · 2 source references
  3. became CEO after Trump-era approvalbusinesslegalpoliticaldocumented · 1 file · 3 source references
  4. appointed CBS editor after Trump-era approvalbusinesspoliticaldocumented · 1 file · 5 source references
  5. oversaw CBS parent during report holdbusinesspoliticalreported · 1 file · 1 source reference

Money, power & fallout

  1. Skydance agreement set the terms for control of Paramount and CBSTransaction completed August 7, 2025led buyer requiring Trump-era FCC approval · documented · 2 sources
    1. investmentNew Paramount primary capital$1.5 billion
      Committed investor / source
      Skydance investor group
      Committed investment recipient
      New Paramount
      committed · 2024-07-07 · observedPopulation Primary capital committed to Paramount's balance sheet under the definitive agreementPeriod 2024-07-07 to 2024-07-07Basis Direct capital commitment stated in Paramount's definitive-agreement announcement.Limits The amount is a transaction component, not a valuation or estimate of enterprise value.Open cited evidence
    2. equityInvestor-group pro forma ownershipapproximately 70% percent of pro forma shares
      Estimated ownership holder / recipient
      Skydance investor group
      estimated · 2024-07-07 · observedPopulation Outstanding equity of New Paramount after closing and the growth-equity investment, assuming full participation in the Class B cash electionPeriod 2024-07-07 to 2024-07-07Basis Paramount's announced post-transaction ownership estimate under the assumptions stated in the definitive-agreement release.Limits Approximate and conditional on full participation in the Class B cash election; the release separately specified 100% of Class A and 69% of Class B shares.Open cited evidence
    3. paymentNational Amusements cash acquisition$2.4 billion
      Committed by / source
      Skydance investor group
      Committed to
      National Amusements shareholders
      committed · 2024-07-07 · observedPopulation Cash-free, debt-free purchase of National Amusements by the Skydance investor group under the July 7, 2024 definitive agreementPeriod 2024-07-07 to 2024-07-07Basis Direct contractual amount stated in Paramount's definitive-agreement announcement; this measures the announced transaction term, not personal income or a settlement.Limits No range reported for this component; later closing is documented separately.Open cited evidence
    4. paymentPublic-shareholder consideration$4.5 billion
      Committed by / source
      Skydance investor group
      Committed to
      Paramount public shareholders
      committed · 2024-07-07 · observedPopulation Cash and stock-merger consideration made available for publicly traded Paramount Class A and Class B sharesPeriod 2024-07-07 to 2024-07-07Basis Direct amount stated in Paramount's definitive-agreement announcement; recorded as an announced transaction term.Limits The release described elections and proration mechanics; this is the stated total consideration available, not a reconstructed payout total.Open cited evidence
  2. Paramount-Skydance merger closed after FCC approvalMerger completedbecame CEO after Trump-era approval · documented · 3 sources
  3. Paramount acquired The Free Press and installed its founder at CBS NewsAcquisition completed; editorial appointment in effectappointed CBS editor after Trump-era approval · documented · 5 sources
  4. Gulf state funds supplied $24 billion of Paramount's initial WBD bid backingForeign fund governance rights surrendered; Affinity later withdrewmedia executive closely allied with Trump · reported · 4 sources

    $24,000,000,000Foreign sovereign-fund bid financing · 2025-12-10

  5. Bari Weiss held a scheduled CBS report on Trump deportees sent to CECOTPulled from the December 21, 2025 broadcastoversaw CBS parent during report hold · reported · 1 source
  6. Paramount's WBD offer carried a $40.4 billion Ellison guaranteeOffer superseded by later revised bid and definitive agreementmedia executive closely allied with Trump · documented · 2 sources

    up to $54,000,000,000Maximum bridge-debt commitments · 2025-12-22

    $40,400,000,000Larry Ellison funding guarantee · 2025-12-22

    $30 per shareDecember cash offer per share · 2025-12-22

  7. Revised WBD bid raised Ellison's operative guarantee to $44.6 billionRevised offer superseded by February 27 definitive agreementmedia executive closely allied with Trump · documented · 2 sources

    $54,000,000,000Revised debt commitments · 2026-02-10

    $44,600,000,000Revised Ellison guarantee · 2026-02-10

  8. Larry Ellison guaranteed $45.72 billion of final merger considerationGuarantee effective for specified merger obligationsmedia executive closely allied with Trump · documented · 2 sources
    1. commitmentGuaranteed merger consideration$45,720,000,000
      Committed by / source
      Larry Ellison and the Ellison Trust
      Committed toward / intended recipient
      Warner Bros. Discovery under merger agreement
      committed · 2026-02-27 · observedPopulation Contractual guarantee for specified WBD merger considerationPeriod 2026-02-27 to 2026-02-27Basis Direct observation: the cap in Section 1.1.3 of the filed guarantee.Limits This is a contingent personal and trust guarantee, not a payment already made or the transaction's full enterprise value.Open cited evidence
  9. Paramount and WBD signed a $110 billion enterprise-value dealDefinitive agreement signed; closing contested and subject to conditionsmedia executive closely allied with Trump · documented · 3 sources
    1. commitmentAnnounced enterprise value$110,000,000,000
      Committed by / source
      Paramount Skydance financing sources
      Committed toward / intended recipient
      Warner Bros. Discovery security holders and creditors
      committed · 2026-02-27 · observedPopulation Paramount Skydance acquisition of Warner Bros. DiscoveryPeriod 2026-02-27 to 2026-02-27Basis Use the announced enterprise value and keep it distinct from per-share consideration and financing-source commitments.Limits Enterprise value includes assumed debt and is not a cash payment to one recipient; closing remains conditional and contested.Open cited evidence

    $31 per shareDefinitive cash price per share · 2026-02-27

  10. House Democrats sought Ellison records on merger contacts and editorial commitmentsCongressional records request issued; no adjudication in reviewed recordmedia executive closely allied with Trump · alleged · 2 sources
  11. Justice Department closed its Paramount-WBD investigationFederal antitrust investigation closed; state challenge later filedmedia executive closely allied with Trump · reported · 3 sources
  12. EU approval required divestiture of a concentrated advertising interestEuropean Commission conditional approval grantedmedia executive closely allied with Trump · reported · 2 sources
  13. Twelve-state challenge bars Paramount-WBD closing pending a merits rulingClosing and integration barred until five days after a merits ruling or June 1, 2027media executive closely allied with Trump · reported · 3 sources

    12 statesState plaintiffs · 2026-07-20

  14. David Ellison hosted Trump and joined his White House birthday eventDirect contacts reported through June 2026Paramount chair with direct presidential access · reported · 1 source
Source: Patrick T. Fallon / AFP / Getty Images, via Los Angeles Times · Rights/use: Copyright retained by Patrick T. Fallon, AFP, and Getty Images; unlicensed low-resolution editorial use · Modified: cropped and resized