NRT briefing
Elite opinion has David Ellison failing before he begins at Skydance
Based on reporting by New York Post.
The Brief
A New York Post column by Charles Gasparino discusses the court-approved merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, known as Skydance, led by David Ellison. Gasparino criticizes what he calls "expert" opinion for predicting Ellison's failure, citing $80 billion in debt and the scale of the merger.
He recounts Ellison's successes in convincing the Redstone family to sell Paramount, outbidding Netflix for Warner Bros. Discovery, and getting California Attorney General Rob Bonta to drop an antitrust suit. Gasparino argues these victories contradict elite skepticism, which he attributes to political and ideological biases, particularly noting Ellison's family ties to President Trump and his hiring of Bari Weiss to run CBS.
The column frames broader failures of expert opinion, such as COVID lockdowns, and claims that insular, progressive-leaning elites are prone to misjudging outsiders like Ellison. Gasparino acknowledges not all elite opinions are wrong, but advises readers to verify claims.