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The Tech Titans and Billionaire Heirs Who Own America’s Newsrooms

A new class of ultrawealthy owners is redefining who controls America’s most influential newspapers, magazines and broadcast outlets.

The relationship between extreme wealth and the free press has long shaped American power. In recent years, that influence has become even more concentrated. A small group of tech founders, investors and industrial heirs now control or influence some of the most visible newsrooms, magazines and broadcast outlets in the country.

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What was once dominated by legacy publishing families has evolved into a media landscape increasingly shaped by modern billionaires with interests far beyond journalism. The decisions of owners such as Jeff Bezos, David Ellison and Marc Benioff can influence newsroom direction and public trust. Wealth has become an increasingly powerful force in the media ecosystem, shaping the content people consume and the institutions that deliver it.

Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, and David Ellison, founder of Skydance Media

Net worth: $290 billion 

Publication owned: CBS News

David Ellison, son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, made his foray into media and entertainment with the founding of Skydance Media in 2006. He has reshaped the industry through Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount Global last year–a deal heavily financed by Larry Ellison—and the more recent (pending) acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

The Paramount-Skydance merger gives the Ellison family control over Paramount’s portfolio, including CBS News, providing a direct line into........

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