Prof G Markets: TikTok, Warner Bros, and the Rise of the Ellison Empire
Date: September 22, 2025
Hosts: Scott Galloway and Ed Elson
Podcast Network: Vox Media Podcast Network
Overview
In this episode, Scott Galloway and Ed Elson deep-dive into the explosive rise of the Ellison family as major power brokers in American media. With David Ellison’s Skydance poised to buy Warner Bros. Discovery and Larry Ellison reportedly circling TikTok, they explore what concentrated family control could mean for the future of media, democracy, and capital markets. The hosts also analyze new insights into the generational AI battle—OpenAI’s ChatGPT vs. Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s fast-ascending Gemini. To cap things off, they discuss strategies for effecting political and market change in a landscape dominated by ultra-wealthy interests.
The Ellisons: Titans Ascendant
(Start - 21:10)
Who Are the Ellisons? (03:55–05:50)
- David Ellison's Skydance is reportedly preparing to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. His father, Larry Ellison (founder of Oracle), may buy a controlling stake in TikTok through a US consortium.
- Family Powerplay: This would position the Ellisons as ultimate media moguls, controlling Paramount, potentially Warner Bros., and possibly TikTok.
- Quick biographical points on both:
- Larry (b. 1944): Oracle founder, major Republican donor, ex-Apple and Tesla board member, close to Trump.
- David (b. 1983): Skydance founder, major Hollywood producer (Top Gun), new owner of Paramount/former Redstone-owned assets.
The Oligarchy Argument (06:19–12:32)
- Scott Galloway: Expresses admiration for Larry but criticizes what he sees as the emergence of an oligarchy, likening it to Russia:
“We now have this oligarchy where some of the wealthiest people in the world are...awarded companies to your Republican friends...that’s what’s happening here.” (07:56)
- Sees the possible TikTok deal as cronyism under Trump, potentially at odds with free-market values.
- Advocates for proactive Democratic legislative threats:
“If we get control of the White House, we’re going to take the company away from you...force you to sell at huge economic cost.” (08:55)
- Ed Elson: Stresses the alarming consolidation of influential media:
“In 1983, there were 50 companies that controlled 90% of American media. Today it’s about six...now it’s the rise of Nepo Media. What does that look like?” (10:18)
What This Means for America (12:32–18:28)
- Scott: Media consolidation isn’t just a monopoly issue, it creates a “chill” suppressing free speech and emboldening political influence. He notes the declining relevance of traditional media but warns about their acquisition by billionaire families:
“The most dangerous thing about the consolidation of media has already happened...the majority, two thirds of Americans, are now getting their news from social media...2/3 of social media...is controlled by one company.” (12:32)
- Predicts major job losses as AI and cost-cutting are deployed under new technology-focused owners:
“They’re gonna try to create movies like the Fantastic Four for $20M, not $200M, using technology and AI...all that shit is going to get cleared out.” (17:05)
Technology vs. Hollywood—and the Nepo Media Era (18:28–23:46)
- Skydance's (David Ellison's) vision: “connecting SoCal with NorCal” or fusing old Hollywood with Silicon Valley—see the use of AI to drive efficiencies in content production and reduce costs.
- Scott draws a parallel to failed Quibi and skepticism of Silicon Valley “fixes”—but says fewer jobs, fewer executives will define the new order.
- Editorial independence at risk: “At any point, the Trump administration can call Larry and say, ‘I don’t like what you used Anderson Cooper [for]...’” (22:12)
- “Democracy dies in the dark...it’s dying in the full light of day.” (23:25)
Rapid News Cycle & Accountability: The Internet's Effect
(23:46–25:31)
- Quick example with Jimmy Kimmel’s sudden firing tied to media mergers and regulatory pressure demonstrates how fast the internet exposes such moves today:
“The journalism of the people just sort of came together in basically a few hours...So long as the Internet exists, it’s all going to be in the light of day.” (24:49)
What Can Be Done?
(25:31–31:21)
From Analysis to Action
- Scott’s Call: Economic action, not just political handwringing:
“I’m contemplating transferring all of my assets to HSBC or Lloyds and being very public about it...we should think about calling for a general economic strike, especially lean on the top 3.3% of households...” (28:10)
- Notes top 10% of households account for 50% of US consumer spending.
- Advocates for the wealthiest to leverage economic power to effect policy change.
- Ed: Agrees with the effectiveness of economic protest:
“I think the best example is Tesla...people stopped buying Teslas and they had to get back to work. That’s the reason he left [political activism], really.” (30:22)
Segment 2: AI Utilization Data — OpenAI vs. Anthropic vs. Google
(34:01–55:47)
New Usage Data for AI Models (34:01–41:21)
- Anthropic’s Claude: Primarily used for “computer and mathematical tasks.” - 36% of prompts are coding-related; 7% science-based.
- OpenAI’s ChatGPT: Shifted from work to “B2C”/practical advice/personal support. - Only ~25% of prompts are work-related (was 50% in 2022). - 28% practical guidance (e.g., workout, cooking, homework).
- Scott’s user tip: “I always have a second screen now...I use ChatGPT for general queries...Anthropic or Claude for editing.” (38:40)
Competitive Landscape and Business Models (41:21–49:06)
- B2B vs. B2C: OpenAI’s revenue is now “three-quarters consumer,” Anthropic is “85% enterprise.”
- Scott's take: Historically prefers B2B (“less price-sensitive”) but notes how OpenAI is betting on consumers.
- Enterprise challenges: Many companies that bought LLM licenses are now struggling with internal adoption: “MIT study...a lot of companies are reporting they’re not getting the ROI.” (43:10)
- Market risk: If AI doesn’t deliver on business impact, could impulse a tech market correction.
Google Gemini Ascendant (49:06–55:47)
- Gemini (Google AI) now has 11% market share, up from 7%—main driver in reducing ChatGPT’s share (now 76%, down from 87%).
- Most interesting stat: “Google searches with over eight words up 7x in the past year”—indicating people using Google more like an LLM.
- Scott: Draws parallel to Microsoft crushing Netscape with bundling; expects Google to dominate LLM through consumer interface power.
“Alphabet is the way I would describe it from media terms: the Empire strikes back.” (55:20)
- Advertising Angle: OpenAI hasn’t tapped into monetizing their valuable 18-25 year old user base yet.
Market Predictions & Final Thoughts
(57:08–59:44)
- M&A Boom Coming: Scott predicts a major wave of mergers & acquisitions by Big Tech and media firms over the next six months:
“The next six months...we’re going to see M&A Lollapalooza. Bankers are going to make a shit ton of money.” (58:28)
- Major Deals Expected: Driven by cheap capital, tech giants will buy up IP, talent, and partnerships as growth slows.
Notable Quotes & Moments
- On Ellison’s power: “It’s not that Larry Ellison isn’t really talented...but when you start carving up companies...we know this is wrong.” —Scott (07:56)
- On media consolidation: “What does America look like in a world where the media is controlled by these billionaires—and let’s face it, by their children?” —Ed (11:50)
- On AI commoditization: “It just feels like it’s going to be very hard to maintain any sort of technical advantage...they all are converging...all using Nvidia.” —Scott (38:14)
- On economic activism: “We should think about calling for a general economic strike, especially lean on the top 3 and a third percent of households...” —Scott (28:10)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 03:55 – News: Ellison Family Media Power Move
- 06:19 – Oligarchy & Media Critique
- 12:32 – Consequences of Media Consolidation
- 17:05 – Impact of AI on Hollywood Employment
- 21:41 – Old vs. New Media Models
- 23:46 – Jimmy Kimmel Case: Internet Exposes Political Pressure
- 25:31 – What Action Can We Take? Economic Strike Theory
- 34:01 – AI Data: ChatGPT vs. Claude—How People Actually Use LLMs
- 41:21 – B2B vs. B2C in AI, Challenges of Enterprise Adoption
- 49:06 – Gemini and the Shifting AI Market Share
- 55:47 – Big Tech Stocks, Multiple Analysis, and the Future
- 58:28 – Market Outlook: M&A Boom Predicted
Final Thoughts
This wide-ranging episode spotlights the swift concentration of media power in the hands of the Ellisons, raising urgent questions about democracy, free speech, and creative destruction in Hollywood and beyond. In parallel, it surveys a rapidly evolving AI landscape where old business models are being rewritten—and legacy players like Google are fighting back. The message: As oligarchic power structures rise, real change may only come through strategic economic activism and consumer choices.
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