Musk invests $1b in Skydance, deepening Ellison alliance

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has invested approximately $1 billion in Skydance, the media company that recently acquired Warner Bros., according to multiple sources.

US online outlet Semafor reported Thursday (local time) that Musk invested in Skydance, the media company led by David Ellison, citing multiple sources.

The sources said Musk made the investment at roughly the same time as other investors, including Laurene Powell Jobs, a board member and widow of the late Steve Jobs. Skydance, which has faced a declining share price and cost-cutting pressure since taking on heavy debt to acquire Warner Bros., will be able to secure much-needed capital through the deal.

Semafor said the investment reflects the close ties Musk has built with David Ellison and his father, Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison.

Cable industry mogul John Malone had previously predicted an announcement between the two, noting that Larry Ellison helped fund Musk's acquisition of Twitter and that Larry Ellison had used Tesla shares to finance his initial investment in Skydance.

Malone also raised the prospect that Musk, who owns satellite internet service Starlink, could pursue a media partnership with Skydance. Malone predicted that Musk would "redesign all the channels and figure out how to transition from traditional broadcasting to streaming."

Musk has maintained a close relationship with President Donald Trump and served as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the early days of the current administration.

CNN, reorganized under Skydance, has maintained a liberal editorial stance and been critical in its coverage of Trump and Musk.

However, David Ellison has said that CNN and CBS — the two news channels under Skydance — will maintain editorial independence.