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byron allen
William D. Cohan February 4, 2024
News and notes on Byron Allen’s bid and the Paramount suitor carousel. Plus, Nelson Peltz’s script for the Disney turnaround.
When rich and powerful families get into a sticky situations, they tend to call Warren Buffett’s favorite banker, Byron Trott.
William D. Cohan January 31, 2024
Byron Trott, perhaps the most successful investment banker of his generation, has helped Buffett, the Pritzkers, the Waltons, and the Mars families. Can he work the same magic for Shari Redstone?
JPMorgan Chase is no closer to solving its succession problem after this game of musical chairs than it was before, especially since Jamie has zero reason to turn down a $50 million thank-you card in 2026.
William D. Cohan January 28, 2024
News and notes on the most topical items among the Sebonack crowd: Jamie’s executive shuffle, M&A activity at Paramount, and Elon’s stock rant.
The biggest impediment to a deal for the Redstone family’s NAI or Paramount Global is the change of control provision that would require any financial buyer to refinance $11.2 billion of Paramount’s senior notes.
William D. Cohan January 24, 2024
Here’s what the apostles of private equity really want from the Redstone heirloom. “It’s the beginning of the end, not the end of the beginning,” as one wise banker told me.


The new lead independent director of Goldman Sachs will be David Viniar, the firm’s longtime chief financial officer.
William D. Cohan January 21, 2024
Notes on the two hottest governance topics among the Maidstone crowd: Goldman’s post-Bayo board shuffle and Peltz’s latest monkey wrench.
Rupert Murdoch and Lachlan Murdoch attend the quarter-final match of the 2018 U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe stadium on September 5, 2018 in Flushing Meadows, Queens.
William D. Cohan January 17, 2024
Bankers and analysts are getting worked up about new deal heat surrounding the usual suspects: Paramount, WBD, and Comcast. But an interesting idea is percolating on Wall Street regarding the fate of another couple entities: the remaining, winnowed Murdoch assets.
Skydance Media C.E.O. David Ellison attends the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 7, 2024.
William D. Cohan January 14, 2024
News and notes on the stories percolating with the Dune Road crowd: David Ellison’s pursuit of National Amusements, Jamie’s boffo number, and Bill Ackman’s relentless crusade against KKR and Axel Springer.
First up for Comcast’s Brian Roberts in 2024 is the pending deal for the one-third stake in Hulu that Comcast owns, and that Bob Iger has said that Disney will buy.
William D. Cohan January 10, 2024
Analyzing the position and motivation of the media industry’s biggest dealmaker as the bankers begin to swarm.


If you thought Bill Ackman would be placated by the resignation of University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill, following the congressional hearing during which she and other academic leaders fumbled their answers about antisemitism on campus, then you haven’t been paying attention.
William D. Cohan January 7, 2024
News and notes on the trending Wall Street-media axis of interest: Ackman’s P.R. battle royale, Iger’s proxy wars, and Jimmy Pitaro’s latest mega-check.
Peter Orszag
William D. Cohan January 3, 2024
Peter Orszag, the new Lazard C.E.O., has an ambitious plan to double revenue by 2030. But can the former Obama aide transform an eccentric culture by emphasizing productivity, recalibrating fee structures, culling underperformers, and bringing in some rainmakers? He thinks so…
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