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Paramount CEO David Ellison eyes Austin as potential new base after threatening to ditch California during antitrust battle
New York Post • • business
Key Points:
- Paramount CEO David Ellison is considering relocating part of the company’s operations to Austin, Texas, amid antitrust challenges in California related to a proposed $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
- The potential new studio site is the Bluebonnet Business Center, a large industrial complex featuring a 415,000-square-foot facility, which surpasses the size of Paramount’s historic Los Angeles lot.
- Sources suggest the move could be motivated by efforts to reduce costs by avoiding California’s high taxes, regulations, and unionized workforce, with Ellison reportedly threatening to leave California if antitrust issues are not resolved by October 1.
- Construction and upgrades are already underway at the Austin site, including a $350,000 buildout for executive offices, indicating serious preparation for a possible corporate relocation.
- The move would bolster Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s strategy to attract entertainment industry jobs through tax incentives, complementing Austin’s existing film studio presence led by entities like Troublemaker Studios.
