Paramount Pictures' official X account was hacked on Tuesday, briefly rebranded as a proud arm of a fascist regime message as it attempts a hostile takeover of Warner Bros Discovery. For several minutes, the pointed message was emblazoned on the account's bio. It quickly vanished restored to The official X account for Paramount Pictures but not before screenshots ricocheted across the internet.
David Ellison's ascent to the summit of Hollywood power traces an unconventional flight path. At 13, the Oracle founder's son received an extraordinary gift from his father: his own airplane. By 17, he was performing aerial acrobatics in professional airshows. Two decades later, he has traded the cockpit for the boardroom, steering his company through a $8 billion merger that placed him atop Paramount, with hopes of adding Warner Bros. to his trophy case.
Paramount Skydance is reportedly preparing a takeover offer for Warner Bros Discovery, in a bid to pull together two of the largest US legacy media conglomerates and Hollywood movie studios. Less than a month after Skydance, a production firm run by David Ellison, son of the billionaire tech mogul Larry Ellison, closed its merger with Paramount, the firm is considering other blockbuster deals. Paramount is preparing a majority cash bid for WBD that would be backed by the Ellison family, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited unnamed sources familiar with the situation. Paramount and WBD did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
David Ellison expressed admiration for South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, praising them as "incredibly talented" and as "equal opportunity offenders" who have consistently pushed boundaries.
Early discussions are taking place between Skydance founder David Ellison and journalist Bari Weiss about acquiring her online publication, The Free Press, although a deal remains uncertain.
