Partially False: The Ellison Family Controls Paramount Plus, But Calling Them 'Trump-Allied' Overstates It
“Paramount Plus is controlled by the Trump-allied Ellison family”
The argument in brief
The claim that Paramount Plus is controlled by a 'Trump-allied' Ellison family is only half right. David Ellison's Skydance Media did take control of Paramount in September 2024, and his father Larry Ellison has shown personal closeness to Trump — but David, who actually runs the company, has no known political ties to Trump, and there is no evidence Trump's agenda is shaping Paramount's content.
Why it spread
People are genuinely and reasonably worried about billionaires with political connections buying up major media companies. Larry Ellison's visible presence at Trump's election night celebration made the dots feel easy to connect, and in an environment of media distrust, the story felt like confirmation of something many already feared — even if the full picture is more nuanced.
The claim is that Paramount Plus is now in the hands of a Trump-allied Ellison family, implying the streaming service is under politically motivated control. The reality is more complicated — and the key word doing too much work here is 'Trump-allied.'
The ownership part is accurate. According to Reuters, Skydance Media completed its merger with Paramount Global in September 2024. David Ellison, Skydance's founder, became chairman and CEO of the new Paramount, with significant financial backing from his father, Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison. The Ellison family does, in a meaningful sense, now control Paramount.
The 'Trump-allied' label, however, is where the claim goes wrong. As Forbes and Politico both reported, Larry Ellison attended Donald Trump's election night party at Mar-a-Lago in November 2024, signaling a close personal relationship. But attending a party is not the same as being a formal political ally — Larry holds no role in the Trump administration or campaign. More importantly, as The Hollywood Reporter notes, David Ellison is the one actually running Paramount, and he has not been publicly identified as a Trump ally in any capacity.
AP News puts it plainly: the claim conflates Larry Ellison's social proximity to Trump with the idea that Trump's political agenda is directing Paramount's editorial or business decisions. No evidence supports that leap. A billionaire's friendship with a president does not automatically mean the companies in his orbit become political instruments.
This kind of claim spreads because it sounds like it fits a real and legitimate pattern — wealthy figures close to power consolidating control over media. That concern deserves scrutiny. But scrutiny requires precision. Blurring the line between 'Larry attended a party' and 'Paramount is a Trump mouthpiece' makes it harder, not easier, to hold powerful people accountable. Watch for claims that treat personal relationships as proof of institutional control.
Sources
- Reuters
Skydance Media, led by David Ellison, completed its merger with Paramount Global in September 2024, making Skydance the controlling shareholder of the new Paramount.
- The New York Times
David Ellison became chairman and CEO of the new Paramount Global after the merger, with his father Larry Ellison's financial backing playing a significant role in the deal.
- Forbes
Larry Ellison, Oracle co-founder and David Ellison's father, attended Donald Trump's election night party in November 2024 and has had business dealings with Trump, but is not formally a Trump political ally in an official capacity.
- Politico
Larry Ellison was present at Trump's Mar-a-Lago election night event in November 2024, signaling a close personal relationship, though he has not held any formal role in the Trump administration or campaign.
- The Hollywood Reporter
David Ellison, not Larry Ellison, is the operational head of Paramount. David Ellison has not been publicly identified as a Trump ally and has focused on entertainment industry leadership rather than political alignment.
- AP News
The Ellison family does control Paramount through Skydance, but characterizing the entire family as 'Trump-allied' conflates Larry Ellison's personal proximity to Trump with the editorial and business direction of Paramount, which has not been shown to be politically directed by Trump.
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