The CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, could receive more than US$667.2 million (around R$3.5 billion) from the sale of the company to Paramount Skydance.
Payments include US$34.2 million in cash termination, US$115.8 million in previously acquired shares (vested) and US$517.2 million in shares that will be released upon completion of the deal, according to a document sent by the company on Monday (16).
At age 66, Zaslav is still eligible for a $335.4 million tax refund, according to the same filing. This value was calculated based on March 11 and falls over time if the operation takes longer to complete and more shares are incorporated. If the company is sold only in 2027, the tax refund will be zero.
Zaslav has already pocketed US$113 million from the sale of Warner Bros. shares. earlier this month.
A veteran of the media sector and a frequent presence on lists of the highest paid executives in the US, Zaslav was the coordinator of the merger, in 2022, between pay TV programmer Discovery Inc. and AT&T’s media business, WarnerMedia.
After Warner Bros. shares Discovery collapsed because of persistent weakness in pay TV and Paramount made an offer, Zaslav led the sale of the company. First, it reached a deal to sell the studios and streaming business to Netflix.
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Repeated changes to the terms and ultimately a price increase to $31 per share led the Warner Bros. board to withdraw. agreeing to sell the entire company to Paramount for $110 billion, including debt. The deal still depends on the approval of some regulators and a vote by Warner Bros. shareholders.
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