The most powerful media empire in America is being built quietly. Not in boardrooms or broadcast studios, but inside the family office of Larry Ellison. While headlines chase scandals and elections, Ellison has moved with precision to take control of CBS, Paramount, TikTok’s U.S. operations, and now CNN. This is not a vanity collection. It is a consolidation of editorial power, user data, and algorithmic reach that no single mogul has ever held. Ellison is already the largest private donor to the Israeli Defense Forces. He is also the architect of Oracle’s global data infrastructure. Now he controls the platforms that decide what Americans watch, share, and believe. The implications are not speculative. They are operational, and they are already in motion.
“Larry Ellison is building a media empire, with stakes in TikTok, CBS, CNN and more.” https://www.techspot.com/news/109589-oracle-billionaire-larry-ellison-building-media-empire-stakes.html
CBS and Paramount were absorbed through an $8 billion acquisition led by Ellison’s son David. Seventy-five percent of the money came directly from the family. That deal handed them control over CBS News, Paramount+, and the entire film studio pipeline. Within weeks CBS began shifting tone. Bari Weiss was given a senior role. Kenneth Weinstein, a Trump ally, was installed as ombudsman. The network signed a $7.7 billion deal to broadcast UFC, whose CEO had spoken at the Republican National Convention.
In December ADL Chair Jonathan Greenblat went to his bosses in Israel and told them that "capturing TikTok" was as important in their "war" as defeating Hezbollah and Hamas.
First Congress forced its sale, and now the IDF's largest funder owns it:pic.twitter.com/vmER6l48NY
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 25, 2025
“CBS began shifting toward conservative stories… Bari Weiss and Kenneth Weinstein were brought in to reshape editorial oversight.” https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/larry-ellison-billionaire-trump-ally-who-will-soon-reshape-us-news-media-125091900390_1.html
Congress forced TikTok into a U.S. divestment. Oracle, where Ellison owns 41 percent and still serves as CTO, led the group that acquired 80 percent of the platform. Oracle already hosted TikTok’s U.S. data. Now it controls the algorithm, the moderation system, and the behavioral telemetry of 170 million Americans. The deal was not just financial. It was political. Trump named Ellison and Elon Musk as preferred buyers. The Murdoch family is also involved. Six American members will sit on the board, with Oracle in charge of data governance.
“Oracle, Silver Lake, Andreessen Horowitz takes 80 percent… Ellison’s portion estimated at $4 billion.” https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2025/09/larry-ellison-buys-into-big-media-with-cbs-and-tiktok-usa.html
The next play is already underway. David Ellison is preparing a cash-heavy bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, which includes CNN and HBO Max. If successful, the family will control two of the largest news networks in the country, along with TikTok’s algorithm and Paramount’s film empire. Together these outlets touch more than 300 million users each month. Editorial control will no longer be scattered. It will be centralized. And every stream of data will flow back into Oracle.
“Ellison could soon end up controlling a powerful social media platform, an iconic Hollywood movie studio and two of the country’s largest news organizations.” https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/larry-ellison-billionaire-trump-ally-who-will-soon-reshape-us-news-media-125091900390_1.html
This is media engineering. Ellison now controls the cloud that stores the data, the platforms that distribute the content, the editorial boards that set the tone, and the algorithms that decide what people see. The convergence is happening in real time. And the political ties to Trump, to Musk, to the Murdochs, are not casual.