Gulf States Commit $24 Billion to Paramount Skydance's Warner Bros. Discovery Acquisition

David Ellison's Paramount Skydance has secured nearly $24 billion in equity commitments from three Gulf sovereign wealth funds to finance its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Qatar Investment Authority, and Abu Dhabi's L'imad Holding are providing the financing, with billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison guaranteeing any equity shortfall. The deal, valued at $81 billion, faces scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers who have raised national security concerns about foreign ownership, citing a Communications Act provision limiting foreign equity in U.S. licensed companies to 25%. Warner Bros. Discovery has scheduled an April 23 shareholder vote on the sale to the newly merged Paramount Skydance entity. Regulatory reviews are pending in Europe, with potential closure by late July. Earlier backing from Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners has been withdrawn. Additional financial supporters include RedBird Capital Partners, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Apollo Global Management. Theater owners have opposed the merger, taking their concerns to attorneys general associations in April 2026.