Archive · 10 Oct 2026
Zaslav to Receive $606 Million After Paramount Takeover
Paramount bought Warner Bros.
Discovery, the company David Zaslav led.
After the deal was completed on October 6, Zaslav became entitled to about $606.1 million from company shares and stock options.
Some of his options were not worth anything because their set prices were higher than the price Paramount paid.
He had also sold nearly $200 million in shares after the deal was announced.
Several other top executives are leaving, and some received payouts too.
At a meeting in June, most shareholders voted against proposed executive pay packages.
During Zaslav’s time in charge, WBD reduced its debt and moved from an operating loss in 2022 to an operating profit in 2025.
The acquired company’s debt is now assumed by the newly formed Skydance, which faces an estimated $80 billion debt burden.
Former Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is set to receive about $606.1 million from equity holdings after Paramount completed its takeover on October 6.
The payout includes $381.7 million from stock options, while 14.98 million options became worthless because their exercise prices exceeded the acquisition price.
Zaslav also sold nearly $200 million in WBD shares after the acquisition agreement was announced in February.
Several other senior executives are leaving or have left WBD, and some received transaction-related payouts.
Shareholders voted against proposed executive golden-parachute packages and 2025 compensation plans at the company’s June annual meeting.
- Who
- David Zaslav, former president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery.
- What
- He is set to receive approximately $606.1 million from equity holdings following Paramount’s acquisition of WBD.
- When
- The takeover was completed on October 6; the article does not specify the year for that date.
- Where
- Warner Bros. Discovery; the article also mentions the Warner Bros. water tower in Burbank, California.
- Why
- The acquisition converted eligible shares and restricted stock units into cash entitlements; some stock options were not eligible for value because their exercise prices exceeded the acquisition price.
Shareholder concerns
Company performance and equity participation
Executive compensation
Shareholder concerns
A majority of shareholders voted against proposed golden-parachute packages for Zaslav and other named executives, as well as their 2025 compensation plans.
Company performance and equity participation
The article reports that Zaslav expanded employee equity ownership and that WBD reduced debt and improved its operating performance during his tenure.
- Zaslav’s reported proceeds
- Approximately $606.1 million from equity holdings
- Stock-option proceeds
- $381.7 million, subject to withholding taxes
- Options that became worthless
- 14.98 million, because their exercise prices exceeded $31.0167 per share
- Additional share sales
- Nearly $200 million in WBD shares sold after the deal announcement in February
- Takeover completion
- Paramount completed the acquisition on October 6
- WBD gross debt
- Reduced from approximately $53 billion in mid-2022 to $33.1 billion as of June 2026
- Skydance estimated debt burden
- $80 billion
- Shareholder vote
- A majority voted against proposed golden-parachute packages and 2025 compensation plans at the June annual meeting