The Los Angeles Times, one of America's largest newspapers, is advancing toward public ownership through a structured fundraising effort led by its billionaire owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong. \
Last week, the company announced a private stock offering aimed at raising up to $500 million, as a bridge to a full initial public offering (IPO) planned for fall 2026. This move is part of a broader strategy to consolidate the newspaper with digital and entertainment assets under a new entity, the Los Angeles Times Media Group (LATMG), and to bolster financial sustainability amid ongoing industry challenges like declining ad revenue and subscriber losses.
Funds from the offering are intended to support growth initiatives, including expanding journalism, digital platforms, and new ventures like LA Times Studios (for content production), NantStudios (virtual production), and NantGames (esports and gaming). Soon-Shiong emphasized building a "media company of the future" with independent journalism at its core.
The private raise is immediate and could go up to $500 million in aggregate. It sets the stage for a smaller Regulation A+ IPO (capped at $75 million per 12 months) before the full NYSE listing under the ticker symbol "LAT."