Elon Musk injects about $1 billion into Skydance as media merger pushes cost cuts

Elon Musk has put roughly $1 billion into Skydance, according to an unnamed source. The cash arrives as Skydance seeks to slash expenses after finalising the Paramount‑Warner Bros. Discovery merger on Oct 6, which created the new Skydance entity. Co‑CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz are overseeing the integration of Paramount and Warner Bros. studios, the Paramount+ and HBO Max streaming services, and a suite of TV and news operations. Skydance projects $6 billion of cost savings over the next three years, but it also carries a debt load close to $80 billion. Musk’s stake is part of a broader equity‑raising drive reported by Semafor; neither Musk’s nor Skydance’s representatives have commented. The company’s shares slipped about 1 % on Thursday. The investment echoes a long‑standing link between Musk and Larry Ellison, the Oracle co‑founder and father of Skydance co‑CEO David Ellison. Ellison backed Musk’s 2022 purchase of Twitter (now X) with a $1 billion infusion, invested in Tesla in 2018, and sat on its board. He also personally guaranteed more than $40 billion of financing for Paramount’s bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. ## Context Skydance’s massive debt and cost‑cutting plan show how media firms are using equity infusions and mergers to stay competitive in a streaming‑driven market.