A key Paramount ally makes the case for using Middle East money to buy Warner Bros.: 'The world is changing.'

Tech Insider : Politics, Business
Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (middle) sits next to Elon Musk (right) and U.S. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent (left) at a U.S.-Saudi business conference in Washington, DC., November 2025.
In the second Trump administration, American businesses and government officials have been eager to do deals in the Middle East. Paramount's deal to acquire Warner Bros.

Paramount won't say whether Middle East money is funding its WBD deal

Tech Insider : Politics, Business
Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, at a US-Saudi event in Washington, DC; November 2025.
Saudi Arabian ruler Mohammed bin Salman at a US-Saudi investment event in Washington DC, in November 2025. In December, Paramount said a Saudi-controlled fund would pitch in $10 billion towards its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Paramount's Larry and David Ellison might look to Middle East petrostates to help finance a deal for WBD. That's tricky.

Tech Insider : Politics, Business
President Donald Trump welcomes Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia at the White House, November 18, 2025
Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia at the White House in November. Now bin Salman's country is reportedly backing Larry and David Ellisons' bid for Warner Bros. Discovery

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Saudi Arabia is reportedly trying to plug a $21 billion deficit by selling bonds

Tech Insider : Economy
Mohammed bin Salman.
Mohammed bin Salman.

Leon Neal/Getty Images

MBS might be ready for some 'tough conversations' about 'recalibrating' Saudi Arabia's Neom and Vision 2030 projects

Tech Insider : Politics
MBS/NEOM
A rendering of Neom and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Neom; Nicolas Asfouri/Getty Images

Trump recently spoke to his old 'friend,' Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the NYT reports

Tech Insider : Politics
Former President Donald Trump (left) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right).
Former President Donald Trump (left) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right).

Joe Raedle via Getty Images; Sergei Savostyanov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

How the Saudi crown prince used oil and political cunning to overturn his pariah status

Tech Insider
MBS
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2018.

FETHI BELAID

How Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman went from pariah to pragmatic diplomat

Tech Insider : Politics, Economy
MBS
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

AFP Contributor

So many people want to attend a Middle East investment conference dubbed 'Davos in the desert' that they're charging $15,000 to get in the door

Tech Insider
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C) arrives to attend a session during the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in the capital Riyadh on October 24, 2018.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh in 2018.

FAYEZ NURELDINE

Saudi Arabia's crown prince warned that if Iran gets a nuke 'we have to get one' too

Tech Insider
MBS
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in New Delhi on September 9, 2023

LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

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