After years of being targeted by CNN propaganda, the world’s richest man Elon Musk has taken his revenge by acquiring a stake in its parent company through a $1 billion investment in Skydance.
Semafor reported the investment on Oct. 22, citing people familiar with the matter. The exact size of Musk’s stake and the terms of the transaction remain undisclosed, but the investment makes him a stakeholder following Paramount Skydance’s $110-billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Paramount Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery on Oct. 6, bringing CNN, HBO and Warner Bros. under David Ellison’s expanded media empire. Musk therefore now has an indirect financial stake in CNN.
CNN has repeatedly scrutinized Musk’s politics, businesses, ownership of X and views on diversity, while Musk has spent years attacking the network, mainstream media organizations and “woke” culture. CNN and its reporting have pushed back against Musk through investigative reports, public criticism and coverage of controversies involving Tesla’s unpaid bills, Starlink and the Ukraine controversy.
Musk is openly and vocally anti-woke, having described the concept as a “woke mind virus” and “communism rebranded.” He has frequently attacked progressive ideals, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and identity politics, arguing that they divide people, encourage reverse racism and sexism, and undermine meritocracy.
The investment also strengthens Musk’s ties to the Ellison family. Larry Ellison backed Musk’s 2022 Twitter takeover with $1 billion and later committed significant financing to the Warner Bros. Discovery deal.
Musk’s reported investment comes as Skydance pursues a major technology-driven expansion, modernizing production and distribution while targeting more than $6 billion in annualized cost savings within 3 years.
Musk briefly reclaimed his position as the world’s first trillionaire on Oct. 21, 2026, after his net worth climbed to approximately $1.019 trillion following strong earnings reports and stock surges from SpaceX and Tesla.
