Shari Redstone, Barry Diller and Jeff Bezos and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez were among those fueling the rumor mill as Allen & Co’s “billionaire summer camp” kicked off in Sun Valley, Idaho on Wednesday.
Redstone’s deal to merge Paramount with David Ellison’s Skydance Media was the big story as business bigwigs gathered for the first full day of festivities at the iconic ski resort.
The deal announced Monday includes a “go shop” provision that gives Redstone 45 days to entertain outside offers.
Diller, the 82-year-old chairman of IAC, was said to be considering a bid for Paramount last week – and hinted that he has not ruled out the possibility.
The 45-day window is a “lifetime” in the business world, Diller told reporters as he walked the grounds with his wife, designer Diane von Furstenberg, according to Bloomberg.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav — reportedly an early bidder for Paramount who dropped out of the process — cryptically answered questions about the Paramount-Skydance deal after his arrival at the resort, calling it “good for the industry.”
The deal marked the culmination of months of negotiations over Paramount’s future. Notably, Paramount will have to pay a $400 million fee if it receives another offer and Skydance chooses not to match it.
Redstone, who sported a pink fur coat and sunglasses on her first day at Sun Valley, was spotted with a large coffee in hand, though she gave no hint of whether she intended to bid at the notoriously undercover event.
The media heiress inadvertently gave photographers a glimpse of her wallet at one point, revealing what appeared to be American Express gold and platinum credit cards, in addition to her Connecticut driver’s license.
Elsewhere, Amazon founder Bezos was seen walking hand-in-hand with Sanchez, while supermodel Karlie Kloss and her husband, Thrive Capital boss Josh Kushner, were seen sharing a smile.
Sheryl Sandberg, another Sun Valley regular, held hands with her husband, Tom Bernthal.
Greg Abel, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy and heir apparent to Warren Buffett, was photographed walking with his wife as the elderly “Oracle of Omaha” sits at this year’s conference.
Zaslav briefly held court with reporters after arriving at the lodge the day before.
After President Biden’s disastrous debate performance last month, Zaslav said he doesn’t have a preference between the current president and former president Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election — though he stressed that either candidate should be business-friendly.
“We just need an opportunity for deregulation so that companies can consolidate and do what it takes to be even better,” Zaslav said.