Business
YouTube’s ad revenue
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Susan Wojcicki helped build YouTube into a billion-dollar advertising behemoth

Tom Jones
8/12/24 9:50AM

Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube, employee number 16 at Google, and one-time landlord for the tech company’s founders in the late 90s, died at 56 after living with lung cancer for 2 years, according to a Facebook post from her husband on Friday.

Current Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai paid tribute in a memo to employees, highlighting Wojcicki’s role in building the Google ad business, her work leading YouTube, and her parental leave advocacy (Wojcicki was the first Googler to take maternity leave) which “set a new standard for businesses everywhere”.

Platform pioneer

Wojcicki has been credited with convincing the Google board to stump up the $1.65 billion for YouTube in 2006, as Google Video, the unit she oversaw at the time, struggled to compete.

8 years later, she was made CEO of the video-sharing platform, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that YouTube made about $4 billion in the year that Wojcicki took the helm. Per Alphabet’s latest annual report for 2023 — the year that Wojcicki resigned to focus on her family, health, and personal projects — adverts made the company $31.5 billion. That figure was up ~690% since 2014 and accounted for more than 10% of Alphabet’s overall revenue for the year.

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business
Nia Warfield
2h

Paramount Skydance reportedly preparing an Ellison-backed Warner Bros. Discovery takeover bid, sending shares soaring

Paramount Skydance is preparing a majority-cash bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, The Wall Street Journal reported, sending shares of both companies surging. The Journal’s sources say the deal is backed by the Ellison family, led by David Ellison.

WBD shares were up 30% on the report, while Paramount Skydance jumped 8%.

The offer would cover WBD’s entire business — cable networks, movie studios, the whole enchilada. That comes after WBD announced plans last year to split into two divisions: one for streaming & studios, the other for its traditional cable/TV assets. A recent Wells Fargo note gave WBD a price target hike, primarily because the analysts viewed it as a prime takeover candidate.

If the deal goes through, it would bring together HBO, CNN, DC Studios, and Warner Bros.’ film library with Paramount+, Nickelodeon, and MTV, all under one umbrella.

Exclusive | Paramount Skydance Prepares Ellison-Backed Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery

Exclusive | Paramount Skydance Prepares Ellison-Backed Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery

The offer would cover WBD’s entire business — cable networks, movie studios, the whole enchilada. That comes after WBD announced plans last year to split into two divisions: one for streaming & studios, the other for its traditional cable/TV assets. A recent Wells Fargo note gave WBD a price target hike, primarily because the analysts viewed it as a prime takeover candidate.

If the deal goes through, it would bring together HBO, CNN, DC Studios, and Warner Bros.’ film library with Paramount+, Nickelodeon, and MTV, all under one umbrella.

Max Knoblauch
24h
As tariffs take root, August new vehicle prices climb by the most in more than 2 years

According to data from Cox Automotive, 17 vehicle brands raised prices of their new vehicles by more than 3% in August.

Ford Issues Recalls On Some Of Its Mach-E Mustangs And Aviators
Nia Warfield
9/10/25
Netflix taps Amazon to sell streaming ads in new partnership

Starting this fall, brands will be able to access Netflix’s premium ad slots using Amazon’s buying tech.

Netflix Headquarters
Millie Giles
WITHDRAWALS
9/10/25
Bank branches are still closing at breakneck speed in the US

Institutions like Chase and Wells Fargo closed 76 locations in just six weeks over the summer, per the OCC.

Indianapolis - March 2016: Chase Bank III
business
Nia Warfield
9/9/25

Fox and News Corp slide as investors digest $3.3 billion Murdoch succession settlement

Fox and News Corp shares dropped on Tuesday after Rupert Murdoch’s heirs agreed to a $3.3 billion settlement to resolve a long-running succession drama.

Under the deal, Prudence, Elisabeth, and James Murdoch will each receive about $1.1 billion, paid for in part by Fox selling 16.9 million Class B voting shares and News Corp selling 14.2 million shares. The stock sales will raise roughly $1.37 billion on behalf of the three heirs.

The new trust for Lachlan Murdoch will now control about 36.2% of Fox’s Class B shares and roughly 33.1% of News Corp’s stock, granting him uncontested voting authority over both companies for the next 25 years. Originally, the Murdoch trust was designed to hand over voting control of Fox and News Corp to Prudence, Elisabeth, Lachlan, and James after his death.

Investors are weighing the trade-off. Clear leadership under Lachlan may resolve conflict internally, but the share dilution, executed at a roughly 4.5% discount, means long-term investors now hold slightly less clout than before.

Both companies’ stocks were trading close to all-time highs prior to the announcement.

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