Following the agreement between Paramount Skydance and California’s district attorney Rob Bonta, it seems that the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery could actually go through, despite concerns within parts of the industry about an increasingly centralization of multiple identities under one roof. That said, there is still the transaction to complete, and an unconfirmed rumor gathered by Semafor signals the possibility that the CEO David Ellison might seek financial help from Elon Musk. The move would carry its inevitable weight on the political plane.
[Photo of Elon Musk courtesy of Gage Skidmore, from Wikimedia Commons]
Elon Musk could join the Paramount Skydance – Warner Bros. deal? He would be among the top investment partners
David Ellison is pursuing the money to complete the monstrous deal to buy Warner Bros., with backing from Paramount Skydance, a venture as we know valued at around $111 billion. His father Larry Ellison had already indicated his willingness to contribute $40 billion, while a controversial fund of Saudi investors stepped forward to contribute just under 50%, thereby partially relieving Ellison Sr. of the burden. Now, it would appear the Skydance Ellisons are seeking additional “equity investments“, i.e., commitments to provide capital in exchange for a share of the profits and also a say in governance. They are reportedly considering their old friend Elon Musk, who already assisted Larry with $1 billion at the time of his purchase of the former Twitter, now X, as well as for Tesla, sitting on the board. The news is unconfirmed and it is not automatically certain that Musk will agree; nonetheless, the magnate has never shied away from entertainment opinions, and this could be a path for him to enter officially. It is no secret that the Ellisons are very close to Trump, but an economic stake by Elon Musk in the Paramount-Warner behemoth would also bring him closer to the networks CNN and CBS News, already considered at risk of journalistic objectivity after the acquisition (to the extent that the agreement with Bonta provides for an external committee to oversee their guaranteed freedom of press). Beyond concerns about restructurings, layoffs, and lack of pluralism, the Paramount-Warner merger was watched by Hollywood’s more liberal factions as well, precisely because of the arrival of ideologically MAGA-aligned individuals at the most prestigious studios. Musk’s involvement would make those fears a tangible reality.
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