Bloomberg Businessweek

James D. White is a seasoned corporate leader with over thirty years' experience in the consumer products, retail, and restaurant industries. As CEO of Jamba Juice from 2008–2016, he led the successful turnaround and transformation of the company. He is an experienced corporate director and adviser with twenty years of experience serving on more than fifteen public and private boards. White currently chairs the board of the Honest Company.

James explains why he believes that culture is essential building block for an organization’s success, and details his new book, "Culture Design: How to Build a High-Performing, Resilient Organization with Purpose," which he co-wrote with his daughter, Krista. James speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.

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The fight over the future of Hollywood just got nastier.

Paramount Skydance Corp. launched a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. at $30 a share in cash on Monday, just days after the company agreed to a deal with Netflix Inc. The offer values Warner Bros. at $108.4 billion, including debt.

The bid compares with Netflix’s offer of $27.75 in cash and stock, for an enterprise value of about $82.7 billion including debt. Paramount’s offer is for all of Warner Bros., while Netflix is interested only in the Hollywood studios, HBO and the streaming business.

Warner Bros. investors “deserve an opportunity to consider our superior all-cash offer for their shares in the entire company,” Paramount Chief Executive Officer David Ellison said in a statement.

The battle between Netflix and Paramount stands to reshape the entertainment industry regardless of who wins. With Warner Bros. films and TV shows, Netflix would wield tremendous new power over the content offered to online audiences. Paramount aims to marry two legacy Hollywood studios to counter the influence of Netflix, Walt Disney Co. and Amazon.com Inc.

Both bids raise significant antitrust concerns, underscored by multibillion-dollar breakup fees the parties have offered, and both companies have been laying the groundwork to win over the White House.

Today's show features:

• Bloomberg News Media and Entertainment Editor Felix Gillette and Bloomberg News Intelligence Senior Media Analyst Geetha Ranganathan on Paramount’s $108 billion hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
• Kevin Gordon, Head of Macro Research and Strategy for the Schwab Center for Financial Research, on inflation, labor and AI investing trends
• Bloomberg News Chief Wall Street Correspondent Sridhar Natarajan and US Insurance Reporter Alex Rajbhandari  on the ripple effects of JPMorgan hiring Todd Combs away from Berkshire Hathaway
• Gracelin Baskaran, Director of Critical Minerals Security Program at Center for Strategic and International Studies, on the US and Democratic Republic of Congo signing a partnership to create a strategic reserve of critical mineral assets and current state of play in the sector

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Compass Pathways is a mental health care company developing new treatments for people who haven’t responded to existing medications and continue to struggle with their mental health. The company was the first to report successful Phase 3 clinical trial results for a psychedelic treatment, known as COMP360 psilocybin, for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and is positioned to potentially be the first to receive regulatory approval and bring a psychedelic-based medicine to market.

Kabir Nath, the CEO of Compass Pathways, details his company's path building a scalable, safe, and accessible psychedelic care system and model. Kabir speaks with Carol Massar and Alexis Christoforous on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.

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Featuring some of our favorite conversations of the week from our daily radio show "Bloomberg Businessweek Daily."
Hosted by Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec

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Netflix Inc. agreed to buy Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., marking a seismic shift in the entertainment business as a Silicon Valley-bred streaming giant tries to swallow one of Hollywood’s oldest and most revered studios.

Under terms of the deal announced Friday, Warner Bros. shareholders will receive $27.75 a share in cash and stock in Netflix, valuing the business at $82.7 billion including debt. The total equity value of the deal is $72 billion. Warner Bros. will spin off cable networks such as CNN and TNT into a separate company before concluding the sale of its studio and HBO to Netflix. 

Media mergers of this scale have a rocky history and this one is expected to bring intense regulatory scrutiny in the US and Europe. Paramount Skydance Corp., which accused Warner Bros. of running an unfair sales process, could also take steps to disrupt the transaction, like by taking an offer directly to shareholders. The company declined to comment.

The Netflix deal combines two of the world’s biggest streaming providers with some 450 million subscribers. Warner Bros.’ deep library of programming gives Netflix content to sustain its lead over challengers like Walt Disney Co. and Paramount.

Today's show features:

• Bloomberg News Media and Entertainment Editor Felix Gillette on Netflix agreeing to buy Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. in a deal valuing the business at $82.7 billion including debt
• Karin Kimbrough, Chief Economist at LinkedIn, on the health of the US labor market and economy
• Rebecca Homkes, Faculty at the London Business School and at Duke Corporate Executive Education, on how executives should be evaluating the health of consumers, market concentration risk and AI bubble concerns
• Bloomberg Tech Co-Host Ed Ludlow on Elon Musk’s SpaceX reportedly telling investors and financial institution representatives that it is aiming for an initial public offering in 2026
• Bloomberg News Senior Editor, Equities Americas Eric Weiner recaps the week in markets and looks ahead to the Federal Reserve’s upcoming rate decision

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Dr. Nupoor Narula, MD, MSc is the Bruce Lerman Clinical Scholar, cardiologist, and Director of the Cardiology Vascular Laboratory and Women’s Heart Program at Weill Cornell Medicine. An NIH-funded physician-investigator, her clinical and research interests include genetic aortic diseases and aortic aneurysms and dissections, with a special emphasis on these conditions in women and pregnancy.

 
Dr. Narula recently received funding from the National Institutes of Health for her research on aortic aneurysms, and the NIH continues to fund related research in the area of women's heart health, which may signal a greater appetite to invest in, and prioritize an increasingly important clinical need. Dr. Narula details her work on cardiac risks to women, particularly during pregnancy, with Carol Massar and Alexis Christoforous on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.

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Meta Platforms Inc.’s Mark Zuckerberg is expected to meaningfully cut resources for building the so-called metaverse, an effort that he once framed as the future of the company and the reason for changing its name from Facebook Inc.

Executives are considering potential budget cuts as high as 30% for the metaverse group next year, which includes the virtual worlds product Meta Horizon Worlds and its Quest virtual reality unit, according to people familiar with the talks, who asked not to be named while discussing private company plans. Cuts that high would most likely include layoffs as early as January, according to the people, though a final decision has not yet been made.

Savings from the metaverse cuts are expected to funnel toward other futuristic projects within Meta’s Reality Labs division, including AI glasses and other wearables, according to people familiar with the plans.

The proposed metaverse cuts are part of the company’s annual budget planning for 2026, which included a series of meetings at Zuckerberg’s compound in Hawaii last month, the people said. Zuckerberg has asked Meta executives to look for 10% cuts across the board, which has been the standard request during similar budget cycles the past few years, they added.

Today's show features:

• Gene Munster, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Deepwater Asset Management, on the latest talent departure from Apple to Meta, and the AI arms race
• Bloomberg News Senior Technology Reporter Kurt Wagner on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s plan to cut resources for building the metaverse
• Jimmy Lee, CEO, The Wealth Consulting Group, on the market outlook heading into 2026
• Bloomberg News Consumer Reporter Jeanette Neumann on quarterly earnings from Ulta Beauty

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Holland, Michigan-based CraftCo. Brands has a diverse portfolio of craft spirits comprised of more than 30 spirits and liqueurs across the bourbon, gin, vodka, rye, and ready-to-drink categories. However, Bloomberg Intelligence notes that the use of weight-loss drugs stand to deepen alcohol's demand slump in the US and Europe, as moderation and wellness trends gain ground.
Ali Anderson, the CEO of CraftCo., discusses the outlook for the spirits industry for 2026 and beyond, as well as changing consumer habits when it comes to consumption levels. Ali speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.

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Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.
US companies shed payrolls in November by the most since early 2023, adding to concerns about a more pronounced weakening in the labor market.
Private-sector payrolls decreased by 32,000, according to ADP Research data released Wednesday. Payrolls have now fallen four times in the last six months. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 10,000 gain.
Wednesday’s weak ADP report risks heightening concerns of a more rapid deterioration in the labor market ahead of the Federal Reserve’s final policy meeting of the year next week. It could hold more sway than usual as one of the few up-to-date reports officials will have by then, as the shutdown delayed the government’s November jobs report.
Policymakers have been torn as to whether they’ll cut interest rates for a third straight meeting as they attempt to balance the slowdown in the job market with still-elevated inflation. Investors, however, widely expect the Fed to lower borrowing costs next week.
Today's show features:

• Bloomberg Economics US and Canada Economist Stuart Paul on the latest ADP jobs data and near-term expectations for Federal Reserve leadership and policy, and Bloomberg News Consumer Team Leader Emily Cohn on earnings from Macy’s and Dollar Tree, as well as the health of the US consumer
• Scott Sanborn, Chief Executive Officer of LendingClub, and Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Analyst for US Regional Banks Herman Chan, on the company’s expansion into home improvement financing and the outlook for US monetary policy
• Amy Rubenstein, CEO of Clear Investment Group, on the distressed real estate market

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New research from Bank of America Private Bank offers a rare look at how the world’s wealthiest families are preparing for a major generational handover, as nearly 60% expect a leadership transition within the next decade, and how next-gen leaders are reshaping investing, philanthropy, and innovation. The Bank of America Family Office Study captures over 300 family office leaders’ perspectives into how their organizations are navigating complexity and preparing for this seismic change.

Elizabeth Thiessen is a Managing Director and the Head of Family Office Solutions with Bank of America Private Bank. She breaks down the figures with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.

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