Who are Larry and David Ellison, and why are they reshaping global media?

Alongside CBS and Paramount, the Ellisons are preparing to secure a share of the American spin-off of TikTok, according to people familiar with negotiations. The move, enabled by Trump administration approval, would give them access not just to Hollywood storytelling but also to the massive reach of social media’s most addictive app. By pairing Paramount’s franchises with TikTok’s data-driven entertainment model, analysts say the family could pioneer a new kind of hybrid media empire that merges traditional content with algorithmic distribution.

Political ties and regulatory pressures

The rise of the Ellison media empire has been shaped by politics. Larry Ellison has been one of Trump’s most loyal backers, hosting fundraisers, bankrolling Republican candidates, and aligning himself with the president’s signature projects. The Federal Communications Commission, under Trump’s leadership, approved the Paramount-Skydance merger after Ellison’s team pledged to diversify viewpoints and appoint an ombudsman to monitor bias at CBS. Weeks earlier, Paramount settled a Trump lawsuit alleging that CBS News had interfered with his reelection campaign. David Ellison insists his company will not be politicized, but observers note that Trump’s pressure on broadcasters makes editorial independence a difficult promise to maintain.

A generational shift in media power

David Ellison, 42, took a different path from his father’s Silicon Valley career, moving into Hollywood with Skydance Media. After early missteps, he produced hits like Top Gun: Maverick and Mission: Impossible sequels, cementing his reputation as a serious studio executive. With Paramount’s assets now under his control and his father’s backing in Washington and Wall Street, Ellison has become a new power player in both entertainment and news. Unlike Murdoch, who built his empire over decades, the Ellisons are using a combination of inherited wealth, political alliances, and regulatory leverage to move quickly.

What comes next

The Ellisons have offered conflicting political signals. Larry is firmly aligned with Trump and Republican causes, while David donated nearly $1 million to President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign and describes himself as “socially liberal.” Yet their joint holdings—stretching from Oracle’s data infrastructure to CBS’s broadcast reach and soon TikTok’s digital audience—mean their choices will affect not only political narratives but also how millions of Americans consume information and entertainment.

The question looming over the industry is whether the Ellisons intend to use their empire for ideological purposes or purely as a business venture. So far, they say the focus is innovation, investment, and trust. But the appointment of opinion-driven leadership at CBS, the acquisition of platforms shaping online discourse, and Trump’s regulatory blessing suggest that politics and business will be hard to separate.

A new era for US media

For decades, Rupert Murdoch defined how media dynasties could shape politics and culture. The Ellisons, with their combination of Hollywood production, legacy television, and Silicon Valley ties, may redefine the playbook. Their media empire spans more audiences, more platforms, and more money than Murdoch’s ever did. Whether they use that power to strengthen journalism, amplify partisan narratives, or reinvent entertainment remains one of the biggest questions for the future of American media.