David Ellison

David Ellison was at the center of major corporate mergers this year — and thus major national headlines.

Skydance Media, which was founded by Ellison in 2006, completed its $8 billion merger with Paramount Global last August, officially becoming Paramount Skydance and elevating Ellison to CEO of the combined company.

But that wasn’t the only merger Ellison negotiated this year.

Paramount Skydance entered a head-to-head fight with Netflix in late 2025 to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), with WBD initially favoring Netflix’s $82.7 billion bid. Paramount then followed with a higher all-cash offer of $31 per share in a deal valued at roughly $110 billion, causing Netflix to withdraw from the fight in early 2026.

Paramount’s $110 billion pending merger with WBD is certainly a win for Ellison and would combine two of Hollywood’s largest major studios. However, the son of billionaire Larry Ellison is now involved in a lawsuit filed by 12 state attorneys general to block the merger, as they claim it would reduce market competition and raise consumer costs. In August, Paramount agreed to delay the closing’s timeline until June 2027, and a federal judge scheduled a formal antitrust trial for March 2027 (although it looked as of August as though settlement talks are starting).

The media conglomerate is also likely looking to change its real estate footprint drastically following the acquisition. Paramount plans to keep its studios in Burbank and Hollywood for now, but its goal is to eventually shift most of its production to WBD’s Burbank lot, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Paramount is considering, too, leasing out its historic studio lot at 5555 Melrose Avenue in L.A. for film productions, including those for Paramount-HBO streaming operations. Plus, David Ellison is looking to potentially redevelop portions of the studio site for retail and commercial use, according to the Times.

Much still has to be decided. But no matter what, it seems like the younger Ellison is sure to make even more headlines next year.