David Ellison

David Ferris Ellison (born January 9, 1983) is an American film producer, media proprietor, and former actor serving as chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Paramount Skydance since August 2025. He founded the film and television production company Skydance Media in 2006 and later merged it with the media company Paramount Global, forming Paramount Skydance in 2025. He is the son of Oracle Corporation co-founder Larry Ellison.

Ellison founded Skydance and served as its CEO from 2006 until 2025, and produced the films Terminator Genisys, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (both 2015), Life (2017), and Top Gun: Maverick (2022),

In 2025, under Ellison's leadership, Skydance acquired the media company Paramount Global. An ally of President Donald Trump, Ellison hand-picked political commentator Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News and acquired her digital media outlet The Free Press after the second Trump administration approved the merger of Skydance and Paramount Global in 2025. Shortly after the completion of the merger, Ellison launched a successful hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, while giving assurances to President Trump that he would make sweeping changes to CNN if the merger went ahead. Ellison will remain chairman and CEO of the combined company.

Early life and education Ellison was born on January 9, 1983, in Santa Clara County, California. He is the son of billionaire Oracle Corporation co-founder and chairman Larry Ellison and his third wife, Barbara Boothe Ellison. His father is of Italian and Jewish heritage. Ellison grew up in Woodside, California, with his mother, who nurtured his love for film. His father was not a day-to-day presence in his early life, but when David Ellison turned 13, his father bought him his own Katana stunt plane, and they bonded piloting and doing stunts. He attended Pepperdine University and the University of Southern California (USC). He has one sister, film producer Megan Ellison, who founded Annapurna Pictures. and the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2011. Ellison was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for co-producing Top Gun: Maverick. Skydance Media expanded in 2013 with the launch of its television division. He has executive-produced shows such as Altered Carbon and Grace and Frankie. In 2014, Ellison launched a line of men's clothing, the "LANAI Collection".

In 2017, Ellison helped launch Skydance Animation in partnership with Spain's Ilion Animation Studios. In 2019, Ellison hired former Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer John Lasseter to run Skydance Animation.

Paramount Skydance Corporation

In January 2024, it was reported that Ellison was interested in merging Skydance Media with Paramount Global and buying the latter's parent company National Amusements from Shari Redstone. The US$8 billion deal relied heavily on a personal $6 billion investment by Ellison's father, Larry Ellison. The merger received approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the second Donald Trump administration in July 2025. The merger was completed by August 7, 2025, and Paramount Skydance Corporation was formed. Ellison serves as chairman and CEO of the merged company.

Following the merger, the company made changes to CBS News which Le Monde called "conservative-friendly". and Ellison appointed Weiss as CBS News' editor-in-chief. Shortly into her tenure, Weiss controversially delayed the airing of a 60 Minutes story on the Trump administration's deportations to Venezuela.

Acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery

In September 2025, shortly after the formation of Paramount Skydance, it was reported that Ellison had started preparing a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Following an auction process in December 2025, WBD entered into a merger agreement with Netflix, but Ellison sought to hinder the merger by launching a hostile takeover bid. The Wall Street Journal reported in December 2025 that Ellison had given assurances to President Donald Trump that if Paramount were to buy WBD, he would make major changes to CNN, a media organization that Trump has frequently criticized. Ellison worked with three sovereign wealth funds owned by Middle-Eastern governments, as well as Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, to finance his competing bid for WBD. Defying historical precedent of non-involvement in mergers, Donald Trump personally involved himself in the merger evaluation. In February 2026, after Ellison raised his bid for the company, WBD concluded that it was a superior proposal to the Netflix deal. Netflix declined to raise its bid for the company and Paramount and WBD signed a definitive merger agreement shortly after, subject to approval by federal regulators. Ellison will continue his tenure as chairman and CEO of the combined company.

In April 2026, Ellison feted Donald Trump and senior Trump administration officials at an event titled, "honoring the Trump White House," in Washington D.C., alongside top executives and journalists from CBS News. Guests at the event included federal regulators who were overseeing the merger. On June 12, 2026, the U.S. Justice Department's Antitrust Division approved Paramount's $111 billion acquisition of WBD.

Ellison's attempt to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery has faced an antitrust challenge from a group of state attorneys general, delaying the proposed acquisition. The delay could add significant costs to the $110 billion deal. They have two children.

Ellison is a licensed pilot with instrument ratings for helicopter aviation, aerobatics, commercial aviation, fixed-wing aircraft, and multi-engine aircraft. In 2003, aged 20, he was selected to perform as part of Sean D. Tucker's "Stars of Tomorrow" aerobatic team at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture Oshkosh.

Ellison and his father are close associates of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Ellison is a member of the Producers Guild of America and Television Academy.

Ellison used to be a Democratic donor and said in 2022 that he is a "socially liberal person." He donated $929,600 to Biden's reelection campaign in 2024. But since 2025, Ellison has been described as an ally of Donald Trump.

Filmography

Film

Executive producer

Flyboys (2006) True Grit (2010) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) The Guilt Trip (2012) Jack Reacher (2012) G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) World War Z (2013) Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) Star Trek Beyond (2016) Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) Baywatch (2017) Annihilation (2018) Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) Without Remorse (2021) Snake Eyes (2021) Blush (2021) Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)

Producer

Terminator Genisys (2015) Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) Life (2017) Geostorm (2017) Gemini Man (2019) Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) 6 Underground (2019) The Old Guard (2020) The Tomorrow War (2021) The Adam Project (2022) Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Luck (2022) The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022) Air (2023) Ghosted (2023) Kelce (2023) Heart of Stone (2023) Spy Kids: Armageddon (2023) Spellbound (2024) The Gorge (2025) The Old Guard 2 (2025) Fountain of Youth (2025) The Family Plan 2 (2025) Swapped (2026) Mayday (2026) Matchbox: The Movie (2026) Way of the Warrior Kid (2026) Ray Gunn (2026) Untitled Jack and the Beanstalk project (TBA) Untitled Skydance Animation/Don Hall project (TBA)

Actor

Year Film Role Notes 2005 The Chumscrubber Student #1 When All Else Fails Mike Williams Short film 2006 Flyboys Eddie Beagle 2009 Hole in One Tyler Hayden Little Fish, Strange Pond Romeo Direct-to-video

Director

Year Film Notes 2005 When All Else Fails Short film

Writer Year Film Notes 2005 When All Else Fails Short film

Thanks

Year Film Notes 2013 Phantom Special thanks

Television

Executive producer

Manhattan (2014−2015) Ten Days in the Valley (2017) Grace and Frankie (2015−2018) Dietland (2018) Condor (2018–2020) Altered Carbon (2018−2019) Jack Ryan (2018−2023) Foundation (2021–present) Reacher (2022–present) Good Rivals (2022) The Checkup with Dr. David Agus (2022) The Big Door Prize (2023) FUBAR (2023) WondLa (2024) Terminator Zero (2024) One Night in Idaho: The College Murders (2025) Ride or Die (2026) Neuromancer (TBA)

Actor

Year Title Role Notes 2008 Blank Slate Blake Feltzer Television film 2010 Leverage Ballard Television series