Here's A Prominent Paramount Name You May Not Know

The year-long saga of Skydance Media’s $8 billion takeover of Paramount Global, finalized in August 2025, is a tale of high-stakes dealmaking, political maneuvering, and a cast of powerful players that could easily fuel a Paramount+ drama series. Names like David Ellison, the Skydance CEO steering the merger; his father, Larry Ellison, the Oracle billionaire backing the deal; Shari Redstone, the outgoing Paramount controller; FCC Chairman Brendan Carr; and even Donald Trump, whose influence loomed large, dominate the headlines. 

Yet, one name remains under the radar but poised for significant influence in the reimagined Paramount: Gerry Cardinale, the founder of RedBird Capital Partners.

The deal’s journey was anything but smooth, marked by regulatory hurdles, internal drama, and accusations of political capitulation. Critics have sharply criticized Shari Redstone for Paramount’s $16 million settlement with Trump, intended for his future presidential library, to resolve a lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. The settlement, perceived by some as a move to secure Trump administration approval for the merger, sparked outrage, particularly after CBS News announced the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show in 2026, citing financial reasons. Figures like Jon Stewart and South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone voiced concerns over editorial independence, with some calling the settlement a “bribe” to appease regulatory pressures under Trump’s influence. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, dissenting in the 2-1 vote to approve the merger on July 24, 2025, decried Paramount’s “cowardly capitulation” and warned of eroding press freedom. 

Meanwhile, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr praised Skydance’s commitments to “unbiased journalism” at CBS, including plans for an ombudsman to monitor editorial fairness and the elimination of Paramount’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, aligning with broader political shifts.

Gerry Cardinale

Amid this high-profile drama, Forbes reports Gerry Cardinale emerges as a quieter but critical force shaping Paramount’s future. His firm, RedBird Capital Partners, a Skydance shareholder since 2020, is contributing $1.8 billion to the $8 billion deal, positioning Cardinale as a key player in the new Paramount, officially named Paramount, a Skydance Corporation. 

Cardinale will join the board as a director and appoint a second, yet-unnamed director, while RedBird’s influence extends to leadership roles: Jeff Shell, former NBCUniversal CEO and chair of RedBird’s sports and media division, will serve as Paramount’s president, and Andy Gordon, head of RedBird’s West Coast office, will take on the roles of chief operating officer (COO) and chief strategic officer (CSO). 

Under the new ownership structure, RedBird will control 22.5% of Paramount’s voting rights, with David Ellison holding 50% and Larry Ellison, Skydance’s largest investor, commanding 27.5%. This distribution sets the stage for a complex dynamic where Cardinale could serve as a pivotal mediator if tensions arise between the Ellisons, whose familial and financial ties add layers of intricacy to decision-making.