David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance, left the New York Stock Exchange after an interview on December 8, 2025. BRENDAN MCDERMID / REUTERS
"We are really here to finish what we started": David Ellison, the new head of Paramount, was not pleased to see the Hollywood studio Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) snatched away at the last minute by Netflix, the global streaming leader, after making six takeover offers. The son of Larry Ellison – founder of Oracle, the world's second-wealthiest person and a friend of Donald Trump – launched a hostile takeover bid for the studio, famous for films ranging from Casablanca (1942) to Barbie (2023), on Monday, December 8. He was assisted by Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, as well as by sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
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Warner purchase makes Netflix Hollywood's new titan
This move came as Trump, on Sunday, voiced his doubts about the December 5 takeover deal between WBD and Netflix. Netflix holds "a very large market share," the US president said. "It could be a problem." Trump added that he "will be involved in this decision," referring to whether antitrust authorities would challenge the deal. That same Sunday, David Ellison was seen in the presidential box alongside Trump during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
