Ex-Warner Bros. CEO pockets $600 million in sale to Paramount

Much of Zaslav’s compensation came in the form of stock options. Warner Bros. stockholders received $31 a share in cash in the sale, a nearly 25% increase from when the stock first began trading in April of 2022. The Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 76% over that period.

Many other Warner executives received large paydays, including streaming boss JB Perrette and strategy chief Bruce Campbell. A spokesperson said Zaslav doubled the number of employees overall who received stock awards.

The new company, now called Skydance Corp. and led by technology scion David Ellison, is one of the largest media businesses in the world, comprising the century-old Paramount and Warner Bros. movie studios, dozens of TV networks, like CBS and CNN, as well as the Paramount+ and HBO Max streaming services.

Christopher Palmeri and Dylan Sloan report for Bloomberg.

Skydance’s David Ellison conquered Hollywood, but now the work begins Oct. 9, 2026 Paramount-Warner Bros. transaction closes, creating a new Hollywood colossus Oct. 6, 2026 David Ellison names Skydance team that includes prominent Warner executives Oct. 5, 2026 Show Comments Hollywood Inc.Entertainment & Arts The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future.

More From the Los Angeles Times Hollywood Inc.

Voices Chabria: Hilton’s ‘immigrant’ attack on Becerra is despicable. But here’s where we agree Oct. 9, 2026 Business