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Paramount Confirms Gulf Sovereign Funds Backing for Warner Bros. Discovery Bid

The confirmation locks in non-voting foreign capital ahead of an April 23 shareholder vote.

Overview

  • Paramount Skydance, which disclosed Tuesday in an SEC filing, said Saudi Arabia’s PIF, Qatar’s QIA and Abu Dhabi’s L’imad have committed nearly $24 billion, with LionTree also joining the equity syndicate.
  • The stakes are non-voting and below 25%, and the Ellison family and RedBird keep all voting shares, a design the company says complies with FCC rules and avoids a CFIUS review.
  • Banks have lined up about $54 billion in debt, bringing total financing to roughly $110 billion, and the companies still guide to a third-quarter close with internal plans that target July.
  • Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders vote April 23, while Democratic lawmakers press Treasury and the FCC for added national security review even though the deal’s structure limits foreign control.
  • Larry Ellison’s backstop remains in place to cover any equity shortfall, and earlier would-be financiers like Tencent and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners are no longer part of the package.