David Ellison on CNBC. (Screen shot via SnapStream)
Earlier this fall, on the second Sunday of September, David Zaslav welcomed David Ellison to his Beverly Hills home. Only weeks earlier, Ellison had closed the tortured, much-drawn-out acquisition of Paramount, cementing the Oracle scion’s status as Hollywood’s newest mogul. But if Zaslav didn’t fully grasp Ellison’s ambitions that afternoon, it didn’t take long for the picture to come into focus.
At the meeting, Ellison disclosed that he wanted to buy all of Warner Bros. Discovery. His opening offer: $19 a share, split between 60% cash and 40% stock—a 52% premium at the time. He laid out the strategic rationale for a combined company and left behind a letter for Zaslav detailing Paramount proposal.
It was merely the first overture aimed at courting Zaslav. Two days later, David’s father Larry Ellison met virtually with Zaslav and influential shareholder John Malone, reiterating the family’s desire for WBD. And as their offers for the sprawling media conglomerate climbed, the Ellisons kept up the charm offensive…
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CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil. (Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images for ReedPop)
Status Scoop | CBS Crowns Dokoupil: It's happening. Tony Dokoupil will be the next anchor of "CBS Evening News," Status has learned. As we first reported in October, Dokoupil was always the leading internal candidate for the job, despite Norah O'Donnell's desire to get back to her old perch. But…
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