Overview
- Warner Bros. Discovery’s filing estimates Zaslav’s merger-triggered package at roughly $886.8–$887 million, including $34.2 million in cash, $517.2 million in equity, about $44,000 in benefits and an estimated $335 million tax reimbursement.
- Named executives also stand to receive large payouts if the sale closes: JB Perrette about $142 million, Bruce Campbell $121.5 million, Gunnar Wiedenfels $120 million and Gerhard Zeiler $82.6 million.
- The company cautioned the figures are estimates that could change, noting a 25-cent-per-share quarterly ticking fee after Sept. 30 that may lift values and a sizable tax reimbursement that declines over time and could drop to zero if completion slips into 2027.
- Paramount Skydance agreed to pay $31 per WBD share in cash, with roughly $47 billion of equity backed by the Ellison family and RedBird and about $54 billion in bank debt commitments, plus a $7 billion reverse termination fee if the deal is blocked on regulatory grounds.
- An early-spring shareholder vote is planned as reviews proceed, and separate disclosures show Zaslav sold about $114 million of WBD stock earlier this month after trading windows opened.