The Sun Valley Conference may be responsible for another notable media deal.
This time, The New York Times reported Friday that Skydance CEO David Ellison has had “initial discussions” with Free Press co-founder and editor-in-chief Bari Weiss about acquiring the digital media company; Weiss and Ellison are currently attending the Magul-Heavy conference in Idaho.
Allen & Company, the investment firm behind the conference, is a shareholder in the Free Press, the Times noted.
Free Press representatives did not immediately respond to TheWrap, while Parachute representatives declined to comment.
Weiss co-founded the Free Press with his wife, Nellie Bowles, in 2021, after they both left the New York Times. The Free Press prides itself on publishing “investigative stories and provocative commentary,” focusing primarily on politics and social issues; the New York-based Outlet also offers video content and podcasts.
Under Weiss’ stewardship, the Free Press quickly became a formidable media company, with the outlet surpassing 136,000 paid subscribers by the end of 2024 ; a subscription costs $8 per month.
The Sun Valley Conference has historically hosted the Wheelings and Dealings in the media and technology industry, serving as the launch pad for deals such as Disney’s 1995 acquisition of ABC and Comcast’s $30 billion acquisition in 2011.
The New York Times also noted that a parachute-free press deal is “far from certain” and pointed out that Ellison is currently working on closing the Skydance-Paramount merger.
