People search “David Ellison Wikipedia” because his name shows up constantly in entertainment news right now, and the standard Wikipedia entry only gives the bare outline. This article breaks down who he is, what’s happening with the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery deal today, and the personal details, like his wife and family, that most articles skip past.
Background: Who Is David Ellison and Why Are People Searching for Him?
David Ellison is the founder of Skydance Media, the production company behind hits like Top Gun: Maverick and the Mission: Impossible franchise. He is also the son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, which means his career has always come with extra attention because of his family’s fortune.
In August 2025, Ellison completed a merger between Skydance and Paramount Global, creating a new company called Paramount Skydance, where he now serves as chairman and CEO. Since then, he has pushed to buy Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal worth roughly 111 billion dollars, and that deal is now caught up in a major antitrust lawsuit, which is the main reason his name keeps trending in search results.
Latest Update
The Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger is stuck in legal limbo. A federal judge recently scheduled the antitrust trial, brought by a coalition of 12 state attorneys general along with the Writers Guild of America, to begin in March 2027, which pushes any deal closing well past its original timeline. Ellison has said publicly that he is confident the company will win the case, but he has also said Paramount is open to settling out of court if the states are willing to negotiate.
Just this week, Ellison raised the stakes further by telling his leadership team that Paramount may start moving operations out of California starting October 1, 2026, unless California Attorney General Rob Bonta agrees to settlement talks. Bonta responded publicly, calling the threat a pressure tactic that will not change the state’s position. Starting October 1, Paramount will also begin owing Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders a daily fee of about 7 million dollars for every day the deal stays unfinished, so the financial pressure on Ellison’s side is real and growing. No settlement has been confirmed as of this date, and the trial date remains set for March 2027.
Full Profile: David Ellison
Family and Early Life
David Ferris Ellison was born and raised in Santa Clara County, California. He grew up with significant family wealth, and by his own accounts he became fascinated with aviation and filmmaking at a young age, interests that ended up shaping both his personal life and his business career.
Career Path
Ellison founded Skydance Media in 2006 and spent nearly two decades building it into a serious Hollywood studio, financing and producing major franchises including Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, and Top Gun: Maverick, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. In August 2025, he led the merger of Skydance with Paramount Global and National Amusements, forming Paramount Skydance Corporation, where he became chairman and CEO. Since then, his biggest move has been pursuing the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that is currently on hold while an antitrust trial plays out in court.
Age
Ellison was born on January 9, 1983, which makes him 43 years old as of August 2026.
Religion
Ellison’s personal religious beliefs are not confirmed through any verifiable public statement from him. Some outlets mention that his father’s side of the family has Jewish heritage, but that detail describes his father’s background rather than confirming David Ellison’s own religious practice, so this article will not state it as fact about him personally.
Spouse/Partner
David Ellison is married to Sandra Lynn Modic, an actress and country-pop singer. The two met on the set of a small film in 2009, dated for about two years, and married on October 1, 2011, in a private ceremony in Palm Springs, California. They have two daughters, born in 2021 and 2023, and the family keeps the children’s names and photos out of public view.
Net Worth
Public estimates of Ellison’s personal net worth vary enormously, ranging from about 500 million dollars according to Celebrity Net Worth up to figures in the billions cited by other outlets. That gap likely comes from confusion between his own earnings and his access to his father’s fortune, since Larry Ellison has personally guaranteed tens of billions of dollars toward the Warner Bros. Discovery deal. Because no single confirmed figure exists, treat any specific number as an estimate rather than fact.
Parents
Ellison’s father is Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corporation and one of the wealthiest people in the world. His mother is Barbara Boothe. His sister, Megan Ellison, is also a film producer and founded the studio Annapurna Pictures.
Height
No verified, official figure for David Ellison’s height is available from a reliable source, so this article will not guess at one.
Education
Ellison attended the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and also spent time at Pepperdine University, but public records confirm he did not complete a degree at either school before leaving to focus on filmmaking and Skydance.
Hometown/State of Origin
Ellison is from Santa Clara County, California, and has remained based in California for most of his career, running Skydance out of Santa Monica before expanding into Paramount’s Los Angeles and New York offices.
Official Social Media
Ellison does not maintain a widely followed, verified personal social media account the way many entertainment executives do. Public statements from him are more often issued through company channels, earnings calls, and staff memos than personal posts, so no single official handle can be confirmed as his primary public account.
⚠️ Note: Because David Ellison’s family wealth and business dealings are so heavily covered, some biography sites publish rushed or contradictory details, including wildly different net worth figures and, in a few cases, factual errors about his background. Treat any number or claim that isn’t backed by a named, reputable source as unconfirmed.
David Ellison: Paramount-Warner Bros. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Founds Skydance Media |
| October 1, 2011 | Marries Sandra Lynn Modic in Palm Springs, California |
| August 7, 2025 | Skydance-Paramount Global merger closes, forming Paramount Skydance |
| Early 2026 | Secures agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, subject to approval |
| July 13, 2026 | 12 states sue to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger |
| August 2026 | Trial scheduled for March 2027; Ellison threatens to move Paramount out of California |
✅ Confirmed fact: David Ellison is chairman and CEO of Paramount Skydance, a role he has held since the company formed in August 2025.
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Who is David Ellison’s wife?
David Ellison’s wife is Sandra Lynn Modic, an actress and country-pop singer. They married on October 1, 2011, in Palm Springs, California, and have two daughters together.
Is David Ellison related to Larry Ellison?
Yes, David Ellison is the son of Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corporation. His father has personally guaranteed a large portion of the financing behind Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.
What company does David Ellison run?
David Ellison is chairman and CEO of Paramount Skydance Corporation, formed in August 2025 when his studio, Skydance Media, merged with Paramount Global. He founded Skydance Media back in 2006.
Is David Ellison buying Warner Bros. Discovery?
David Ellison’s company, Paramount Skydance, has an agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for roughly 111 billion dollars, but the deal is currently blocked from closing by an antitrust lawsuit from 12 states. A trial over the case is scheduled for March 2027.
What is David Ellison’s net worth?
Estimates vary widely, from around 500 million dollars according to Celebrity Net Worth to much higher figures cited elsewhere, partly because of confusion with his father’s separate fortune. No single confirmed number exists publicly.
Does David Ellison have a Wikipedia page?
Yes, David Ellison has a Wikipedia entry covering his career and the Paramount Skydance merger, but it does not go deep into details like his personal net worth estimates or the day-to-day status of the Warner Bros. Discovery lawsuit, which is why people look for more current coverage elsewhere.
How many kids does David Ellison have?
David Ellison and his wife, Sandra Lynn Modic, have two daughters, born in 2021 and 2023. The couple keeps their children’s names and photos out of the public eye.
Wrap-Up
The reason “David Ellison Wikipedia” keeps trending comes down to timing. He is in the middle of one of the biggest media deals in years, and the outcome of the Warner Bros. Discovery lawsuit will decide whether he ends up running one of the largest entertainment companies in the world or has to walk away from the deal entirely. That kind of high-stakes business drama pulls in searches from people who only know him as “Larry Ellison’s son” and want the fuller picture.
What makes his story different from a typical executive profile is how personal the business risk actually is. His father has personally guaranteed tens of billions of dollars toward the deal, which means the Ellison family’s own fortune is tied directly to whether Ellison wins in court next year. At the same time, his home life with Sandra Lynn Modic and their two daughters stays almost entirely out of the spotlight, a contrast to how public his business fights have become.
As the antitrust trial approaches and the California relocation threat plays out, expect more headlines with his name in them. Check back here for updates once anything is actually confirmed, rather than relying on speculation from any single source.
Smith Andrew is the Founder and Editor of BiographyCabal. He researches, writes, and edits accurate, engaging, and well-researched biographies of celebrities, entrepreneurs, athletes, influencers, politicians, and other notable public figures. Committed to factual reporting and quality storytelling, Smith ensures every article is reader-focused, informative, and based on reliable sources, helping readers discover the lives, careers, and achievements of influential people around the world.