Overview
- Warner Bros. Discovery’s proxy filed Thursday shows CEO David Zaslav earned $165 million in 2025, driven by $109.6 million in stock options granted under a revised contract.
- The filing outlines an exit package worth at least $550 million in cash and equity with up to $335 million in potential tax reimbursement if the Paramount deal closes.
- The company granted 20,898,776 options to Zaslav on June 12, 2025 to push a planned split into two companies, a move the board says helped lift WBD’s stock and set up competing bids.
- Shareholders approved the Paramount merger but cast a non-binding vote against executive golden parachutes, and the deal now faces regulatory review as unions and some state officials prepare challenges.
- Paramount’s financing includes $24 billion from sovereign funds in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, a stake that heightens scrutiny of foreign ownership while $6 billion in planned cost cuts could lead to broad layoffs.