Jewish business leaders transform media landscape with $8 billion deal

Jewish business leaders Korff and Ellison seal an $8 billion deal transforming the media landscape.

 Maayan Badash and Brandon Korff attend the BET Awards 2023 at Microsoft Theater on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (photo credit: Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)
Maayan Badash and Brandon Korff attend the BET Awards 2023 at Microsoft Theater on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
(photo credit: Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)

In a groundbreaking strategic move reshaping the US media market, Brandon Korff, heir to the Paramount empire, has decided to sell control of the media and film empire to David Ellison, heir to Larry Ellison’s media empire. The deal, valued at $8 billion, stands out as one of the most significant and intriguing transactions in the US media market, showcasing the next generation of the world’s most influential Jewish business leaders.

In recent days, a massive deal is being finalized that will transform the US media market. As part of the deal, control of the Paramount Global empire will be sold from the Korff family to the Ellison family for $8 billion. Behind the scenes are two young Jewish businessmen, the next generation of the world’s most influential Jewish business leaders: Brandon Korff and David Ellison.

Thirty-six-year-old Korff is the son of Shari Redstone, chairman of the media empire Paramount Global, which the family inherited from grandfather Sumner Redstone. Korff is a successful businessman who, together with his family, owns National Amusements, the holding company that controls Paramount. In addition to his activities in the media and entertainment sectors, Korff is well-known in Israel, having had a three-year relationship with top model Yael Shelbia.

A young Jewish businessman

Forty-one-year-old David Ellison, the son of billionaire Larry Ellison, is a young Jewish businessman who has proposed acquiring National Amusements, the Korff family’s holding company, to take over Paramount Global, the media giant that owns MTV and Nickelodeon. As part of the deal, Ellison is negotiating with Paramount to merge his film and television studio, Skydance Media, into a larger media company after completing the acquisition.

 David Ellison attends the US premiere of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, at Kings Theater in New York, US, June 5, 2023.  (credit: REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo/File Photo)
David Ellison attends the US premiere of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, at Kings Theater in New York, US, June 5, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo/File Photo)

Sources familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post that the two Jewish billionaires effectively managed the sale process of the largest media deal in the world over the past decade. The deal is valued at $8 billion, and economic experts estimate that the merger of the companies will create a media giant that will significantly impact the US media market.

Korff and Ellison grew up in families with economic empires but have built independent and dominant business worlds that are now culminating in a massive deal. “This is the next generation of global Jewish leadership,” says a source familiar with the details. “These two young men love Israel, are connected to their Judaism, have Zionist values, and it’s very encouraging to see that in such successful families, the values are passed on to the younger generations. Both quietly donate quite a bit to the State of Israel and the IDF. It is positive news for the Jewish world that Korff and Ellison are the next generation of global Jewish leadership, connected to Israel and holding Zionist values.”

This article was written in cooperation with SkyDance.