Warner Bros. Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav is set to receive $550 million in compensation with the closing of Paramount Skydance‘s deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. WBD disclosed Monday the estimated amounts of compensation for each of WBD’s named executives related to the deal.
Zaslav is set to receive $34.2 million in cash severance; $517.2 million in equity in the combined company; and $44,195 in continued health coverage reimbursement benefits, per a WBD filing with the SEC. In addition, he would receive additional payments for tax reimbursements under his agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery.
WBD put an estimate of $335.4 million for Zaslav’s tax reimbursement. However, that figure was calculated assuming an effective deal closing on March 11, 2026, with the actual amount “significantly declining with the passage of time,” according to the IRS rules. WBD’s outside tax advisors estimate that if the Paramount-WBD closing were to occur in 2027, no tax reimbursement payment would be expected to be made to Zaslav.
READ: Warner Bros. celebrates Oscar success amid looming Paramount deal (
Last month, Zaslav sold $114 million worth of WBD stock after Paramount won the bidding war for the company. The company also outlined estimated merger-related compensation for other top Warner Bros. Discovery execs.
J.B. Perrette, CEO and president of global streaming and games, is set to receive $142 million (including $18.2 million in cash severance payments and $123.9 million in equity), while chief revenue and strategy officer Bruce Campbell will get an estimated $121.5 million (including $18.8 million in severance and $102.7 million in equity).
CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels’ package is set to receive $120 million (including $6.6 million cash severance payments and $113.1 million in equity, and Gerhard Zeiler, president of international, is set to receive $82.6 million ($11.9 million in severance and $70.7 million in equity).
READ: Paramount Skydance wins Warner Bros Discovery, Netflix walks away (
WBD said the amounts quantified in the section outlining the golden parachute compensation “are estimates based on multiple assumptions” and that “the actual amounts, if any, that may be paid or become payable to directors and executive officers may materially differ from such estimates.”
Warner Bros. Discovery recently saw a huge win at the Academy Awards. The studio received 11 Oscars, with “One Battle After Another,” winning six awards, including the ones for best picture, director and supporting actor. “Sinners” received four awards, including for best actor. However, this came as a complicated moment for the studio because of the looming $110 billion sale to Paramount Skydance.