The post Paramount-Warner Bros. Takeover Raises National Security Concerns, Democrats Say appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Topline Paramount’s hostile bid to acquire Warner Bros. is raising national security concerns, two House Democrats said Wednesday, citing financial backing from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds they worry could give foreign nations control or influence over American data and content. Paramount announced a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. on Monday. Getty Images Key Facts Paramount’s deal includes financing from three Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi’s L’imad Holding Company, located in the United Arab Emirates, which agreed to contribute an aggregate $24 billion toward the $108.4 billion deal. The bid is also backed by Affinity Partners, the private equity firm founded by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, which received $2 billion in funding from the Public Investment Fund in 2021 and partnered with the fund to purchase video game giant Electronic Arts in a $55 billion deal earlier this year. In a letter sent Wednesday, two Democratic representatives on the House Financial Services Committee warned that any deal that provides “governance rights, access to non-public data, or indirect influence over content distribution” could be exploited by foreign nations. However, the three sovereign wealth funds and Affinity Partners agreed to forgo governance rights, including board seats, should the deal go through, according to Paramount’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Warner Bros. and Paramount did not immediately return a request for comment from Forbes. What Are Democrats Warning About? Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., sent a letter to Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav on Wednesday, asking the company to file a voluntary notice with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States should the company seek to finalize a deal with Paramount. Paramount’s SEC filing states the deal would not be subject to… The post Paramount-Warner Bros. Takeover Raises National Security Concerns, Democrats Say appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Topline Paramount’s hostile bid to acquire Warner Bros. is raising national security concerns, two House Democrats said Wednesday, citing financial backing from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds they worry could give foreign nations control or influence over American data and content. Paramount announced a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. on Monday. Getty Images Key Facts Paramount’s deal includes financing from three Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi’s L’imad Holding Company, located in the United Arab Emirates, which agreed to contribute an aggregate $24 billion toward the $108.4 billion deal. The bid is also backed by Affinity Partners, the private equity firm founded by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, which received $2 billion in funding from the Public Investment Fund in 2021 and partnered with the fund to purchase video game giant Electronic Arts in a $55 billion deal earlier this year. In a letter sent Wednesday, two Democratic representatives on the House Financial Services Committee warned that any deal that provides “governance rights, access to non-public data, or indirect influence over content distribution” could be exploited by foreign nations. However, the three sovereign wealth funds and Affinity Partners agreed to forgo governance rights, including board seats, should the deal go through, according to Paramount’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Warner Bros. and Paramount did not immediately return a request for comment from Forbes. What Are Democrats Warning About? Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., sent a letter to Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav on Wednesday, asking the company to file a voluntary notice with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States should the company seek to finalize a deal with Paramount. Paramount’s SEC filing states the deal would not be subject to…

Paramount-Warner Bros. Takeover Raises National Security Concerns, Democrats Say

2025/12/11 06:10

Topline

Paramount’s hostile bid to acquire Warner Bros. is raising national security concerns, two House Democrats said Wednesday, citing financial backing from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds they worry could give foreign nations control or influence over American data and content.

Paramount announced a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. on Monday.

Getty Images

Key Facts

Paramount’s deal includes financing from three Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi’s L’imad Holding Company, located in the United Arab Emirates, which agreed to contribute an aggregate $24 billion toward the $108.4 billion deal.

The bid is also backed by Affinity Partners, the private equity firm founded by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, which received $2 billion in funding from the Public Investment Fund in 2021 and partnered with the fund to purchase video game giant Electronic Arts in a $55 billion deal earlier this year.

In a letter sent Wednesday, two Democratic representatives on the House Financial Services Committee warned that any deal that provides “governance rights, access to non-public data, or indirect influence over content distribution” could be exploited by foreign nations.

However, the three sovereign wealth funds and Affinity Partners agreed to forgo governance rights, including board seats, should the deal go through, according to Paramount’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Warner Bros. and Paramount did not immediately return a request for comment from Forbes.

What Are Democrats Warning About?

Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., sent a letter to Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav on Wednesday, asking the company to file a voluntary notice with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States should the company seek to finalize a deal with Paramount. Paramount’s SEC filing states the deal would not be subject to review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, although Liccardo’s office recommended Warner Bros. immediately file with the agency in a press release Wednesday.

Read More

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2025/12/10/saudi-qatari-and-emirati-funding-in-paramount-warner-bros-takeover-bid-raises-national-security-concerns-democrats-say/

Disclaimer: The articles reposted on this site are sourced from public platforms and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of MEXC. All rights remain with the original authors. If you believe any content infringes on third-party rights, please contact [email protected] for removal. MEXC makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content and is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. The content does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice, nor should it be considered a recommendation or endorsement by MEXC.

You May Also Like

Aave DAO to Shut Down 50% of L2s While Doubling Down on GHO

Aave DAO to Shut Down 50% of L2s While Doubling Down on GHO

The post Aave DAO to Shut Down 50% of L2s While Doubling Down on GHO appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Aave DAO is gearing up for a significant overhaul by shutting down over 50% of underperforming L2 instances. It is also restructuring its governance framework and deploying over $100 million to boost GHO. This could be a pivotal moment that propels Aave back to the forefront of on-chain lending or sparks unprecedented controversy within the DeFi community. Sponsored Sponsored ACI Proposes Shutting Down 50% of L2s The “State of the Union” report by the Aave Chan Initiative (ACI) paints a candid picture. After a turbulent period in the DeFi market and internal challenges, Aave (AAVE) now leads in key metrics: TVL, revenue, market share, and borrowing volume. Aave’s annual revenue of $130 million surpasses the combined cash reserves of its competitors. Tokenomics improvements and the AAVE token buyback program have also contributed to the ecosystem’s growth. Aave global metrics. Source: Aave However, the ACI’s report also highlights several pain points. First, regarding the Layer-2 (L2) strategy. While Aave’s L2 strategy was once a key driver of success, it is no longer fit for purpose. Over half of Aave’s instances on L2s and alt-L1s are not economically viable. Based on year-to-date data, over 86.6% of Aave’s revenue comes from the mainnet, indicating that everything else is a side quest. On this basis, ACI proposes closing underperforming networks. The DAO should invest in key networks with significant differentiators. Second, ACI is pushing for a complete overhaul of the “friendly fork” framework, as most have been unimpressive regarding TVL and revenue. In some cases, attackers have exploited them to Aave’s detriment, as seen with Spark. Sponsored Sponsored “The friendly fork model had a good intention but bad execution where the DAO was too friendly towards these forks, allowing the DAO only little upside,” the report states. Third, the instance model, once a smart…
Share
BitcoinEthereumNews2025/09/18 02:28