The U.S. media landscape is in the midst of a seismic shift as a handful of tech billionaires, led by Oracle founder Larry Ellison and his son David Ellison, move to consolidate power over the nation’s most influential news and entertainment outlets. The latest developments—spanning blockbuster mergers, political realignments, and heated debates about democracy—have left industry insiders, lawmakers, and everyday Americans wondering just how much influence is too much.
On September 16, 2025, TikTok agreed to sell 80% of its U.S. operations to a powerful investor consortium that includes Oracle, Silver Lake, and Andreessen Horowitz, as reported by Reuters. The deal, prompted by U.S. government pressure, thrust Larry Ellison, a longtime Trump supporter and the world’s second-richest billionaire, into the heart of American social media. As noted by FAIR.org, Ellison’s move isn’t just about profits; it’s about shaping the political and cultural conversations of millions of Americans.
But Ellison’s ambitions don’t stop at TikTok. His son, David Ellison, CEO of Skydance, recently orchestrated a merger with Paramount, giving him control over CBS as of July 24, 2025, according to FAIR.org. While David’s campaign contributions have leaned toward the Democratic establishment, it’s his father’s conservative politics that appear to be driving a rightward shift at CBS. NPR reported on September 12, 2025, that CBS has been “shifting to appease the right” under the new ownership. The network is reportedly considering anti-woke commentator Bari Weiss for a top role—possibly editor in chief or co-president—while David Ellison has already installed Kenneth Weinstein, a Trump supporter and former CEO of the Hudson Institute, as ombudsman of CBS News, according to Reuters.
This consolidation of media power is raising alarm bells across the political spectrum. The New York Post revealed on September 11, 2025, that the Ellisons are now eyeing Warner Bros. Discovery—the parent company of CNN—in a deal valued at around $38 billion. Given Larry Ellison’s recent $100 billion surge in net worth (now exceeding $370 billion, per the AP), such a purchase could be, as the Post wryly put it, “a rounding error on the Oracle co-founder’s balance sheet.”
If the Ellisons succeed, they would control a combined CNN and CBS audience of 3.2 million viewers, surpassing rivals like ABC, NBC, and MSNBC, as reported by Forbes on July 24, 2025. Online, CNN.com and CBSNews.com together draw about 339 million visits per month, inching closer to the New York Times’ 425 million, making the potential reach of an Ellison media empire truly staggering.
It’s not just the numbers that have people worried. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren sounded the alarm on September 11, 2025, warning that the Warner Bros. Discovery deal “must be blocked as a dangerous concentration of power.” Her concerns are echoed by Steven Buckley, a lecturer in media and digital sociology at City St George’s, University of London, who told Fast Company on September 16, 2025, “It is not a sign of a healthy democracy when billionaires are buying up all of the means of cultural consumption.”
Should the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition go through, the Ellisons would control streaming services with over 200 million subscribers, according to Barclays. Add TikTok’s 170 million-plus U.S. users, and their influence over what Americans see, hear, and share would be unprecedented. As Buckley put it, “It is naive to think that over time [Ellison’s] business and political philosophy, combined with the external political pressures from this and future administrations, wouldn’t have an impact on how the American public experience TikTok.”
Meanwhile, the broader U.S. media environment has seen a pronounced shift toward conservative, Trump-friendly coverage. The BBC reported on February 26, 2025, that Jeff Bezos has sought to avoid offending Trump at the Washington Post. Mark Zuckerberg has made Facebook more MAGA-friendly, according to NBC (January 8, 2025), and Elon Musk has transformed X (formerly Twitter) into a platform for far-right politics, as noted by the AP and NBC. Even the Los Angeles Times has moved to curry favor with the Trump administration, as documented by FAIR.org and The Guardian.
This trend has not gone unnoticed by media veterans. Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather told the Hollywood Reporter on September 15, 2025, “Americans have to be concerned about the consolidation of huge billionaires getting control of nearly all of the major news outlets.” Rather added, “It’s pretty hard to be optimistic about the possibilities of the Ellisons buying CNN.”
There are also worries about the impact on global affairs and free expression. The New York Times reported on September 13, 2025, that under David Ellison, Paramount became the first major Hollywood studio to condemn a boycott of Israeli film institutions—signaling a willingness to buck industry trends and align with controversial political positions. The Trump administration’s recent decision to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has further squeezed independent voices, giving regime-friendly outlets more room to dominate.
Social media is no exception. With Andreessen Horowitz’s co-founders also supporting Trump, critics worry that TikTok could follow Facebook and X down a path of conservative amplification, according to TechCrunch. And with Oracle’s history of providing technology for surveillance systems—including those used in China, as reported by AP on September 9, 2025—concerns about privacy and data misuse are mounting. As Fortune noted, Larry Ellison “sees a growing opportunity for his company to help authorities analyze real-time data from millions of surveillance cameras.”
As if all this weren’t enough, the media world is abuzz with rumors that Netflix is considering a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, as reported by Puck News and Yahoo on September 20, 2025. Critics argue that a Netflix takeover would prioritize streaming over theatrical releases, potentially dealing a fatal blow to traditional cinema. Warner Bros. is enjoying a record-setting box office year with hits like Weapons, Superman, Sinners, and Barbie, yet the prospect of a sale to a streaming giant has many questioning the future of beloved franchises such as the DC Universe, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. If Netflix acquires these properties, there are fears they’ll become fodder for streaming-exclusive content, eroding their cinematic legacy.
Paramount remains a frontrunner in the Warner Bros. Discovery sweepstakes, preparing a massive offer of $22 to $24 per share, according to CNBC’s David Faber. But whether it’s the Ellisons or Netflix who ultimately seize control, the implications are clear: the fate of American media—and, by extension, public discourse—hangs in the balance.
As billionaires tighten their grip on news, entertainment, and social media, the question isn’t just who owns what. It’s about who gets to shape the stories that define a nation—and whether democracy can survive in a world where so few hold so much sway.
