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Sumner Murray Redstone (né Rothstein; May 27, 1923 – August 11, 2020) was an American billionaire businessman and media magnate. He was the founder and chairman of the second incarnation of Viacom, chairman of CBS Corporation (both companies merged in 2019, a year before Redstone's death), and the majority owner and chairman of the National Amusements theater chain.

Key Information

Until his death, Redstone was a majority voting shareholder of the media conglomerate ViacomCBS, the parent company of the Paramount Pictures film studio, the CBS television network, and various cable networks.

According to Forbes, as of April 2020, he was worth US$2.6 billion.[1]

Redstone was formerly the executive chairman of both CBS and Viacom.[2][3] In February 2016, at age 92, Redstone resigned both chairmanships following a court-ordered examination by a geriatric psychiatrist. He was ultimately succeeded by Les Moonves at CBS and Philippe Dauman at Viacom.[4]

Early life and education

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Redstone was born Sumner Murray Rothstein in 1923 in Boston, Massachusetts, to Belle (née Ostrovsky) and Michael Rothstein.[5][6] Sumner was a second-generation Bostonian; his father Michael was born in Boston in 1902 to Galician Jewish parents originally from Kozova, a shtetl in Austro-Hungarian land now in Ukraine.[7] His mother Bella was also an American-born child of Jewish immigrants; her parents emigrated to the U.S. from Kyiv early in the 20th century.[8] Redstone had a younger brother named Edward Stanton Redstone.

In 1940, at Sumner's behest, his father changed the family surname from "Rothstein" to "Redstone"; although Sumner credited his father for the name change, friends of the family attribute it more to Sumner.[9] "Red stone" is the translation of the Yiddish name Rothstein.[10][11] Michael Rothstein owned Northeast Theater Corporation in Dedham, Massachusetts, the forerunner of National Amusements, and the Boston branch of the Latin Quarter Nightclub.[12][13] As a teenager, Sumner had summer jobs at his father's theaters but "had higher aspirations than the then-still-somewhat-déclassé world of theaters," wrote Keach Hagey.[14]

Redstone attended the Boston Latin School, from which he graduated in 1940 first in his class, and was accepted to Harvard College on scholarship.[15] Among his coursework at Harvard was a Japanese course taught by Professor Edwin O. Reischauer, recommended to him by college administrators based on his study of Latin and Greek in high school.[16] In 1943, Reischauer left Harvard to establish a United States Army Signal Corps training program at Arlington Hall for Japanese translators and cryptanalysts, positions in need during World War II; Redstone would be among Reischauer's students following the professor to Arlington Hall.[16]

Enlisting in the United States Army, Redstone became a second lieutenant in 1944 before being promoted to first lieutenant. He worked with a team at the Signals Intelligence Service that decoded Japanese messages.[17]: p. 208 [16] Despite leaving Harvard for the military, Redstone had completed enough credits that Harvard granted his Bachelor of Arts in the class of 1944 with a concentration in classics and government.[16][5] After his military service, he attended Georgetown University Law Center before transferring to Harvard Law School and receiving his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1947.[5][18]

Career

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After completing law school, Redstone moved to San Francisco to become a clerk with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, a job that then paid $43 per week. While employed by the Ninth Circuit, Redstone also taught labor law courses in the evenings at University of San Francisco School of Law.[19] Beginning in 1948, Redstone joined the United States Department of Justice Tax Division as a staff attorney with the appellate tax division, in the immediate aftermath of the Supreme Court case United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. when the government was actively combating anti-competitive practices among Paramount Pictures and other major film studios.[19]

After two years with the Justice Department, Redstone followed his supervisors to private practice in 1950.[19] Then in 1951, Redstone became a partner of the firm Ford, Bergson, Adams, Borkland, & Redstone with two of his former Justice Department supervisors Herbert Bergson and Herbert Borkland, along with former Deputy Attorney General Peyton Ford.[19] In the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case Holland v. United States, Redstone represented the plaintiffs, a married couple of hotel owners convicted of tax evasion following a sudden rise in their net worth.[19][20] Although the court would uphold their conviction, Redstone's argument that the government had the burden of proof in proving tax evasion in unusual increases in net worth would later become Internal Revenue Service policy.[19][21]

Northeast Theatre Corporation (later National Amusements)

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In 1954, he joined his father's theater chain Northeast Theatre Corporation, which then had fourteen drive-in theaters in five eastern states.[22] The Redstone family re-incorporated Northeast Theatre Corporation and their other businesses as National Amusements in 1959 to access more money to finance expansion; Redstone would invest nearly $18,000 in stock and be named vice president.[23] In 1964, Redstone was elected president of the Theater Owners of America, which would merge with a rival group to form the National Association of Theatre Owners, for which Redstone became chairman in 1965.[24][25]

Redstone became CEO of National Amusements in 1967.[5] The company had 93 theater screens (52 drive-ins and 41 indoor) when Redstone took office; within 10 years, National Amusements had nearly 250 screens.[26] After watching the first Star Wars film in 1977, Redstone directed National Amusements to buy a five percent stake in 20th Century Fox, distributor of Star Wars.[27] Having bought Fox for $8 a share, National Amusements sold Fox at $60 after Marvin Davis bought the company.[27] National Amusements' other investments in Columbia Pictures, Orion Pictures, and Paramount Pictures also had large returns on investment in the early 1980s.[28]

In 2025, Barry Diller stated that Redstone regularly bribed former Paramount CEO Frank Yablans, with former Paramount chairman Charlie Bluhdorn having knowledge of this.[29]

Viacom

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As a hedge against slow growth in movie theaters, Redstone began buying stock in Viacom International in 1985.[30] Viacom spun off from CBS in 1971 after the FCC ruled at the time that television networks could not syndicate their own programs.[31] Viacom initially syndicated CBS network shows such as Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, and I Love Lucy.[32][33]

Viacom also owned MTV Networks (formerly known as Warner-AMEX Satellite Entertainment), which owned MTV and Nickelodeon.[32] In addition, other properties included pay television networks Showtime and The Movie Channel.[34] Viacom acquired MTV Networks in 1985 for $550 million from Steve Ross' Warner Communications.[35]

After a four-month hostile takeover, Redstone won voting control of Viacom for $3.4 billion on March 4, 1987.[36][37][38]

Paramount Pictures

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Redstone's next acquisition was Paramount Communications (previously Gulf+Western), parent of Paramount Pictures, in 1994.[39] Engaging in a bidding war with QVC president Barry Diller and TCI president John Malone, Redstone had to raise his bid at least three times from $7.5 billion to $10.1 billion.[40][41] Some analysts at the time estimated that Redstone overpaid by billions, and Viacom would accrue nearly $10 billion in debt after acquiring Paramount. However, the sale of certain assets such as Madison Square Garden to Cablevision and Simon & Schuster for $4.6 billion to Pearson PLC would eventually help Viacom improve financially, with its stock price in 1998 approaching $60, breaking its 1995 record high.[42][43] Under Redstone's leadership, Paramount produced such popular, award-winning films as Saving Private Ryan, Titanic, Braveheart, Forrest Gump, and Mission: Impossible.[44]

Redstone replaced the team of Jonathan Dolgen and Sherry Lansing in 2004.[45] After arriving at Paramount in 2005, chairman and chief executive officer Brad Grey led a return to fortune at the box office.[46][47] He oversaw the creation or revitalization of several major franchises, including Transformers, Star Trek and Paranormal Activity.[48][49] Paramount also forged productive relationships with top-tier filmmakers and talent including J. J. Abrams,[50] Michael Bay[51] and Martin Scorsese.[52] The 2010 Paramount slate achieved much success with Shutter Island and a True Grit remake, reaching the biggest box office totals in the storied careers of Martin Scorsese and the Coen Brothers, respectively.[53][54] In addition, during Grey's tenure, Paramount launched its own worldwide releasing arm, Paramount Pictures International, and has released acclaimed films such as An Inconvenient Truth, Up in the Air, and There Will Be Blood.[55]

He also purchased Blockbuster Entertainment,[56] which included Aaron Spelling's production company and a huge library of films, much of which has been merged into Paramount Pictures. Blockbuster has now been spun off into its independent entity. Redstone acquired CBS Corporation in 2000 and then spun it off as a separate company in 2005, taking with it all of Paramount's television shows and catalog.[57][58]

In December 2005, Paramount agreed to buy DreamWorks SKG for an estimated $1.6 billion.[59] The acquisition was completed on February 1, 2006. Subsequent financing brought Viacom's investment down to $700 million. The animation studio, DreamWorks Animation, was not included in the deal as it has been its own company since late 2004. However, Paramount had the rights to distribute films by DreamWorks Animation until 2013.[60]

On June 1, 2012, Paramount Pictures renamed the Administration Building on the studio lot the Sumner Redstone Building in a dedication ceremony attended by employees of Paramount Pictures and Viacom.[61]

CBS

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One of Redstone's largest acquisitions came in the form of Viacom's former parent, CBS. After the FCC modified regulations in 1999 to allow companies to own two television stations in the same media market, CBS president and former Viacom President and COO Mel Karmazin proposed a merger with Redstone.[62] On September 7, 1999, Redstone and Karmazin announced that Viacom would buy CBS for $37.3 billion, at the time the biggest media merger of the twentieth century; the newly merged Viacom/CBS would become the second largest media company behind Time Warner.[63] Viacom had a wide range of assets such as the CBS and UPN broadcast networks; cable television networks including MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and BET; the pay television network Showtime, radio (Infinity Broadcasting, which produced the Howard Stern radio shows), Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television, and King World Productions.[64][65]

After CBS and Viacom split in 2005, Redstone remained chairman of both companies, but two separate CEOs were appointed for each company, Les Moonves for CBS and Tom Freston for Viacom.[66][58]

In 2007, former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather sued CBS and other parties such as Redstone in New York state court for breach of contract after CBS declined to renew his contract following a controversy over a story by Rather on 60 Minutes II about then-President George W. Bush's military service. The New York Court of Appeals dismissed the case in 2009.[67]

Succession

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Redstone's trusts made it clear that his daughter, Shari Redstone (vice-chairwoman of the board of Viacom and CBS as well as president of National Amusements), was set to assume his role upon his death. However, a November 22, 2006, New York Times article indicated that Redstone was reconsidering his daughter's role. In 2007, they feuded publicly over issues of corporate governance and the future of the cinema chain.[68]

Documents were made public which verify that, as part of a settlement from Sumner Redstone's first divorce, all of his stock was in irrevocable trusts that was to be left for his grandchildren.[69] On March 1, 2010, Redstone publicly confirmed that all of his stock would be left for his five grandchildren (Brandon Korff, Kimberlee Korff, Tyler Korff, Keryn Redstone, and Lauren Redstone).[70]

Redstone made arrangements to step down as CEO of Viacom in 2006. After Mel Karmazin resigned in 2004, two heirs apparent were named: Co-President and Co-COO Les Moonves (who was number 2 to Karmazin at CBS; he was the former head of Warner Bros. Television and before that, Lorimar Television) and Co-President and Co-COO Tom Freston (who had been president and CEO of MTV Networks since 1987 and had been with the company since the formation of MTV Networks' precursor company, Warner-AMEX Satellite Entertainment). After the Viacom split was approved by the board on June 14, 2005, Moonves headed CBS Corporation, and Freston headed the second incarnation of Viacom.[71]

On September 5, 2006, Redstone removed Freston as president and CEO of Viacom and replaced him with director and former Viacom counsel Philippe Dauman. Redstone also brought back former CFO Tom Dooley. This was surprising to many, as Freston had been seen by many as Redstone's heir apparent, and Redstone had touted that Freston would run the company after he retired. Redstone publicly stated that he let Freston go because of Viacom's lack of aggressiveness in the digital/online arena, lack of contact with investors, and a lackluster upfront (coupled with falling viewership) at MTV Networks.[72][73]

In February 2016, at age 92, after a court-ordered examination by a geriatric psychiatrist whose findings were not publicly disclosed, Redstone relinquished the chairmanship of CBS to Moonves and the chairmanship of Viacom to Dauman.[74][75][76] In May 2016, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Cowan dismissed a lawsuit alleging that Redstone was mentally incompetent.[77][78] The judge stated it was "not in dispute that Redstone suffers from either mild or moderate dementia."[79] In addition, his speech was severely impaired due to a bout with aspiration pneumonia in 2014.[80][81] Two weeks later, another such lawsuit was filed in Massachusetts.[82]

Holdings

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At the time of his death, Redstone owned over 70% of the voting interest of ViacomCBS. ViacomCBS was controlled by Redstone through National Amusements. Redstone sold his holdings of Midway Games, of over 89%, in December 2008.[83]

Books

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Redstone's autobiography, A Passion to Win[84] (co-written with author Peter Knobler), was published in 2001 by Viacom's Simon & Schuster. This book details Redstone's life from a young boy in Boston to the difficult takeover of Viacom and the problems he overcame in purchasing and managing both Blockbuster Video and Paramount Pictures. The book also recounts the CBS merger (Viacom was a spin-off company of CBS to syndicate its programs, and the subsidiary bought the parent almost 30 years later).[85] Succession creator Jesse Armstrong has stated that Redstone's biography A Passion to Win was an influence in creating the series.[86]

Viacom's broadcasting properties at the time of A Passion to Win's release included several radio stations and two TV stations: WBZ CBS 4, which had just become a CBS O&O through a merger with Westinghouse four years before Viacom and CBS merged, and WSBK UPN 38 in Redstone's hometown, Boston.[87][88]

In 2023, the book Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Hollywood Media Empire was published in Cornerstone Press (Penguin Books), written by James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams. The book tells the story of the Redstone dynasty.

Political views

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A longtime Democratic supporter, with a history of donating to many Democratic campaigns, including regular donations to Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle,[89] Redstone endorsed Republican George W. Bush over Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election, allegedly because he argued that Bush would be better for his company and the economy.[90] Despite this public endorsement, he donated money to Kerry during the primaries.[91]

Philanthropy

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Redstone contributed over $150 million to various philanthropic causes[when?].[92]

  • In April 2007, Redstone announced a commitment of $105 million in charitable grants to fund research and patient care advancements in cancer and burn recovery at three major non-profit healthcare organizations. The cash contributions of $35 million were each paid out over five years to FasterCures/The Center for Accelerating Medical Solutions, based in Washington, D.C.; the Cedars-Sinai Prostate Cancer Center in Los Angeles, California; and the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.[93]
  • Up to at least 2012, Redstone contributed $1.5 million to the Global Poverty Project.[92]
  • He gave millions of dollars to the Cambodian Children's Fund, a nonprofit program that provides a wide range of critical health and educational services to impoverished and abused children in the capital city of Phnom Penh. Redstone's contribution will be used to create the Sumner M. Redstone Child Rescue Center, a stand-alone facility originally scheduled to open during the fall of 2007 for children 5 to 16. In subsequent years Redstone continued to support this organization.[94][95]
  • In early 2010, Redstone pledged a $1 million gift to Autism Speaks in support of scientific research into the causes of autism and effective treatments. Redstone had given financial support to Autism Speaks previously.[96] In 2011, Redstone gave an additional $500,000 to the group in support of its Translational Research Initiative, bringing his cumulative lifetime contribution to Autism Speaks to $1.7 million.[97]
  • In July 2010, Redstone donated $24 million to the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California to support cancer research.[98]
  • In September 2012, Redstone donated $18 million to the Boston University School of Law. The gift funded, in part, the construction of the five-story Sumner M. Redstone Building, a classroom building that opened in 2014.[99]
  • Since October 2012, Redstone donated a total of $350,000 to the Go Campaign, which funds projects in 21 countries with a focus on helping orphans and other needy children.[100]
  • In May 2013, the Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation donated $1 million to Literacy Inc., a New York City-based nonprofit literacy organization.[101]
  • In January 2014, it was announced that the Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation had donated $10 million to Harvard Law School for public interest fellowships, the largest charitable contribution ever made to the law school in support of public service. The money supports students who work in public-interest positions after graduation.[102][103]

Personal life

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Redstone married Phyllis Gloria Raphael on July 4, 1947.[104] They had two children: Brent Redstone and Shari Redstone. In 1999, they divorced when Phyllis Raphael served Sumner Redstone a 3 billion dollar divorce lawsuit which accused the mogul of adultery and cruelty.[105] Sumner was seen with Hollywood producer Christine Peters in Paris and was quoted as saying at the time that he "wanted to spend the rest of his life with Christine."[106] As a result of the divorce, Redstone moved to Los Angeles where he continued to romantically pursue Peters. Peters went on to produce the hit romantic comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days in Canada. As Redstone's patience ran out, he married Paula Fortunato, a former primary school teacher 39 years his junior. Redstone filed for divorce from Fortunato on October 17, 2008.[107] Their divorce was finalized on January 22, 2009. Redstone owned a house in the Beverly Park area of Los Angeles, which he purchased in 2002 for $14.5 million.[108]

On March 29, 1979, he suffered severe burns in a fire at the Copley Plaza hotel, in Boston, but survived after 30 hours of extensive surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. Though he was warned that he might never be able to live a normal life again, eight years later he was fit enough to insist on playing tennis nearly every day[109] and to launch a hostile takeover of Viacom.[110] Redstone discussed the story of surviving the fire as a reflection of his strong determination and will to live.[111]

In July 2010, Redstone was caught on tape trying to find the source of an embarrassing leak within MTV. Redstone offered money and protection to a journalist if he would give up his source. Redstone had been pushing MTV management to give more airtime to the band the Electric Barbarellas. In the message, Redstone tells the reporter that "we're not going to kill" the source, adding "We just want to talk to him". The 87-year-old Redstone also told the reporter he would be "well rewarded and well protected" if he would reveal the source.[112] Peter Lauria told NBC's Today show he would not do it. Viacom Inc. spokesman, Carl Folta confirmed to Today that it was Redstone's voice on the message and said he had made a mistake.[113] A Viacom source told the New York Post, "Sumner wants to be consequential. Sumner is really proud of what he did. This guy is loving it… He likes people to know he's still alive".[114]

In August 2015, Redstone split with his live-in girlfriend, Sydney Holland, after five years together.[115][116]

In January 2019, Redstone and his family settled with his former live-in companion Manuela Herzer. According to MarketWatch, "Herzer agreed to pay back $3.25 million of the tens of millions of gifts that Redstone gave her", and "the wide-ranging agreement ends all litigation between the two sides, who have been battling in the courts since the fall of 2015 when Redstone kicked Herzer out of his Beverly Hills mansion, replaced her as his health-care agent and wrote her out of his estate planning."[117][118]

On August 11, 2020, Redstone died at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 97 due to natural causes.[119]

The film Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is in memory of Redstone.[120]

References

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Further reading

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Sumner Redstone

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia

Sumner Murray Redstone (born Rothstein; May 27, 1923 – August 11, 2020) was an American media executive and billionaire businessman who transformed his family's Northeast Theatre Corporation, later renamed National Amusements, into a controlling force behind major media companies including Viacom and CBS Corporation.
After serving as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he worked as a codebreaker deciphering Japanese military communications, Redstone earned degrees from Harvard College and Harvard Law School before joining the family business in the 1950s. He aggressively expanded National Amusements through acquisitions, notably gaining a controlling stake in Viacom in 1987, which under his leadership acquired Paramount Pictures and other assets, and engineered the $37 billion purchase of CBS in 2000, creating one of the world's largest media empires with channels like MTV, Nickelodeon, and BET.
Redstone's tenure was marked by his mantra "content is king," emphasizing premium programming over distribution, but also by fierce corporate battles and personal controversies, including protracted family disputes over succession with his daughter Shari and son Brent, as well as lawsuits alleging elder abuse and mental incapacity in his later years involving former companions.

Early life

Family background and childhood

Sumner Murray Rothstein was born on May 27, 1923, in , , to Jewish parents Michael Rothstein and Belle Rothstein (née Ostrovsky), whose forebears were Jewish immigrants from . The family resided in Boston's West End, a densely packed immigrant neighborhood predominantly inhabited by Jewish and Italian families, where they lived in a project apartment amid modest circumstances. Michael's early ventures included selling from the back of a and operating as a liquor wholesaler alongside a called the Latin Quarter, before transitioning into the entertainment sector with drive-in theaters under the Northeast Theater Corporation, the precursor to . In 1940, the Rothstein family anglicized their surname to Redstone, reflecting a common assimilation practice among Jewish immigrants' descendants seeking broader acceptance in American business circles. Redstone grew up alongside his younger brother in this environment, where his father's entrepreneurial shift toward movie theaters introduced early exposure to the exhibition industry, though the family's primary focus during his childhood remained survival amid urban immigrant challenges. The West End's vibrant yet precarious community, later demolished in the for , shaped a formative period marked by resourcefulness and familial ambition rather than affluence.

Education and early influences

Redstone attended the , graduating in 1940 as valedictorian with the highest grade-point average in the school's then-324-year . He earned a full scholarship to Harvard College, where he accelerated his studies, completing an A.B. degree in three years by 1943. His undergraduate education was interrupted by U.S. entry into ; in 1943, Redstone enlisted in the as an undergraduate and served three years in , rising to while deciphering Japanese codes in and . This service, involving language training in Japanese and German—skills acquired amid wartime exigencies—instilled analytical rigor and resilience, as he later credited the experience with sharpening his capacity for high-stakes problem-solving. Redstone received two commendations from the Division for devotion to duty. Following demobilization, Redstone returned to , earning an LL.B. in 1947. There, he absorbed a culture of excellence and that he later described as formative, influencing his emphasis on meritocratic achievement over complacency. These early academic and military demands reinforced a driven intensity evident from childhood, where familial expectations prioritized diligent study and work ethic.

Professional beginnings

After graduating from with an L.L.B. in 1947, Redstone secured a clerkship with Judge William Orr at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in . During this period, he also served as a law secretary to the court and taught at the . In 1948, Redstone relocated to Washington, D.C., where he worked as a special assistant to the . From 1951 to 1954, he practiced as a partner in the law firm Ford, Bergson, Adams, Borkland & Redstone, focusing on legal matters in the capital. He also maintained a practice in during this time. Redstone's early legal work emphasized antitrust and regulatory issues, reflecting his government's service background, though specific cases from this era remain sparsely documented in public records. In 1954, he transitioned from law to join his father's theater chain, , marking the end of his dedicated legal practice.

Entry into theater business

Following his graduation from Harvard Law School in 1947 and a brief tenure as a partner in a Washington, D.C., law firm starting in 1951, Sumner Redstone transitioned from legal practice to the family entertainment business in 1954. His father, , had established the precursor to through early ventures in movie exhibition, including opening drive-in theaters such as the Sunrise Drive-In in , in 1938, amid the post-World War II boom in outdoor cinemas. By the time Sumner joined, the company managed approximately 12 drive-in theaters in the Northeast, facing competitive pressures from Hollywood studios that restricted first-run films to urban indoor venues. Redstone's entry leveraged his legal acumen to address these distribution bottlenecks; in 1958, he spearheaded lawsuits against major studios, successfully arguing for drive-ins' access to premium releases, which bolstered revenue and positioned the business for growth. Working alongside his father and brother , he focused on operational efficiencies and acquisitions, transforming a regional chain into a more robust exhibitor with 59 screens by 1964. This period marked his shift from courtroom advocacy to hands-on management, emphasizing aggressive negotiation and antitrust challenges inherent to the industry's structure dominated by .

Media empire expansion

National Amusements growth

Upon assuming the presidency of in 1967, Sumner Redstone initiated a period of rapid expansion for the family-owned theater chain, which had originated as a small operator of drive-in theaters in . At the time of his entry into the business in 1954, it comprised approximately 12 drive-in theaters; by 1964, this had grown to 59 screens, reflecting early investments in both drive-ins and emerging indoor venues. Redstone responded to the declining popularity of drive-ins—driven by , television competition, and shifting family viewing habits—by demolishing many such sites and repurposing their undervalued suburban land for upscale indoor multiplex theaters, a format the company helped popularize and for which it trademarked the term "multiplex cinemas." By 1971, the chain operated 52 drive-ins alongside 41 indoor screens, but the focus shifted decisively indoors; this yielded 129 screens total by 1974 and approximately 250 screens by 1981, concentrated in the urban Northeast at high-traffic intersections. Domestic growth accelerated through the , reaching around 400 screens by 1987 and building to roughly 600 screens in the early 1990s, primarily via new-build multiplexes rather than acquisitions. International expansion began in 1988 with entry into the , where the company invested $25 million in seven multiplex complexes adding over 70 screens by 1990; further ventures extended to , , and in the early 1990s. By 1994, screen count exceeded 950, and by the late 1990s, operated more than 1,200 screens across 12 countries in the United States, , and , establishing it as a global leader in motion picture exhibition. This transformation from a regional drive-in operator to an international multiplex powerhouse underpinned Redstone's subsequent media acquisitions, though the core theater faced later pressures from and industry shifts.

Viacom acquisition and development

In early 1987, Sumner Redstone, through his family-owned theater chain, pursued a hostile takeover of Viacom International amid the company's own management-led attempt valued at $2.97 billion. Redstone had begun accumulating Viacom shares in late 1986, reaching a 19.6% stake, and launched a competing on February 2, 1987. After four rounds of escalating bids, Viacom's board accepted National Amusements' $3.4 billion cash-and-stock offer on March 4, 1987, at $42.75 per share, outmaneuvering the management's $51 per share proposal that relied heavily on . The transaction closed in June 1987, granting National Amusements 83% control, financed in part by $2.3 billion in bank loans led by . Upon acquiring Viacom, Redstone assumed the role of chairman and focused on its core assets in and syndication, which included MTV Networks (acquired by Viacom in 1985), , Showtime/The Movie Channel, syndication rights to , five television stations, eight radio stations, and cable systems serving over one million subscribers. This marked a strategic pivot for , using theater cash flows to service Viacom's debt while positioning the company to capitalize on the emerging cable sector's growth potential over traditional broadcasting. Redstone emphasized cost discipline and content leverage, viewing Viacom's programming libraries as hedges against cyclical theater revenues. Viacom's revenues rose from $919 million in 1986 to approximately $1 billion in 1987, despite a net loss of $154.4 million due to acquisition-related debt and restructuring costs. By 1989, the company's had increased to $5.2 billion from $3.9 billion pre-deal, reflecting improved and cable subscriber gains. Redstone's drove expansion in premium cable and syndication, with reruns generating significant licensing fees; an investor's $100 stake in Viacom post-1987 grew to $926 by 1999, outperforming broader market indices. These efforts laid the groundwork for further media diversification, though heavy leverage initially strained finances until cable ad revenues and subscriber growth stabilized operations.

Paramount Pictures hostile takeover

In September 1993, Viacom International, under Sumner Redstone's control, entered into a friendly merger agreement with Paramount Communications, the parent company of Paramount Pictures, valued at approximately $8.2 billion in cash and stock. The deal, initially supported by Paramount's chairman Martin S. Davis, aimed to combine Viacom's cable and programming assets with Paramount's film library and studio operations, creating a major media conglomerate amid industry consolidation. Redstone, known for his prior hostile acquisition of Viacom in 1987, viewed the merger as a strategic extension of his theater chain's content pipeline through National Amusements. The agreement quickly escalated into a hostile bidding war when QVC Network, led by Barry Diller and backed by Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI) under John Malone, launched a counteroffer of $9.5 billion in cash and stock on September 20, 1993, framing it as superior to Viacom's terms. Viacom responded aggressively, raising its bid multiple times—first to $9.1 billion, then to $10 billion by December 1993—while securing a lock-up option on Paramount's Blockbuster subsidiary to deter rivals. Redstone's strategy emphasized personal determination and financial maneuvering, including junk bond financing and assurances of minimal regulatory hurdles, contrasting QVC's leveraged proposal which faced antitrust scrutiny from TCI's cable dominance. By February 12, 1994, Paramount's board rejected QVC's final $9.85 billion counterbid and reaffirmed Viacom's offer, citing its higher value for shareholders—$78.30 per share versus QVC's $74.40—and greater strategic fit without excessive debt burdens. Viacom secured voting control on February 16, 1994, in a $10 billion transaction, marking one of the largest media mergers at the time. The deal closed after shareholder approvals on July 7, 1994, integrating Paramount's assets—including its film studio, television production, and —into Viacom, though it saddled the company with $10 billion in debt that Redstone later restructured. This acquisition exemplified Redstone's combative approach, prioritizing control over amicable terms and leveraging his willingness to outbid competitors in protracted legal and financial battles.

CBS involvement and mergers

In September 1999, Viacom Inc., under the leadership of Sumner Redstone as chairman and chief executive officer, announced its acquisition of in a transaction valued at $37.3 billion, consisting primarily of Viacom stock along with the assumption of $1.4 billion in CBS debt; the deal, orchestrated by Redstone and CEO , represented the largest media merger in history at the time and positioned the combined entity as the world's second-largest media company behind Time Warner. The merger integrated 's broadcast television stations, radio networks, and the division with Viacom's cable channels such as and , as well as , enabling cross-promotion opportunities across platforms that Redstone emphasized as a key strategic rationale. Redstone assumed the role of executive chairman of the merged Viacom, retaining ultimate decision-making authority over operations and content strategy. The combined company faced internal tensions, including clashes between Redstone and Karmazin, who departed in 2004 amid reported strategic disagreements; by mid-2005, Redstone directed the board to pursue a breakup to separate underperforming broadcast assets from higher-growth cable and film properties, aiming to unlock through focused . On June 14, 2005, Viacom's board approved the split, which took effect on December 31, 2005, creating two independent public companies: the new Viacom Inc. (encompassing cable networks, BET, and ) and (retaining broadcast TV, radio, and the CBS television studio); Redstone served as non-executive chairman of both entities, maintaining controlling influence through Inc., his family's holding company that held supermajority voting shares in each. Redstone's dual-chairmanship preserved family oversight of the separated assets, but by 2019, amid declining linear TV revenues and streaming competition, —still under Redstone's ultimate control despite his advancing age and his daughter Shari's operational leadership—pushed for reunification to consolidate scale and content libraries. On August 13, 2019, and Viacom announced their merger into ViacomCBS Inc. (later rebranded ), an all-stock deal valuing the transaction at approximately $30 billion in enterprise value, with shareholders receiving a stake; the merger closed on December 4, 2019, reversing Redstone's 2005 division and restoring a unified structure under ' voting control, though Redstone's direct involvement was limited by health issues as Shari assumed primary stewardship. This reconsolidation reflected Redstone's long-term philosophy of aggressive consolidation to counter market fragmentation, even as external pressures like eroded traditional media dominance.

Business philosophy and operations

Aggressive tactics and litigation

Redstone's business philosophy emphasized unrelenting aggression, often manifesting in hostile takeovers and strategic litigation to secure competitive advantages and deter rivals. As a trained , he viewed legal action as a core tool for dominance, famously stating in his 2001 memoir that he would "do whatever it takes" to prevail, including protracted battles that exhausted opponents financially and psychologically. This approach stemmed from his post-World War II experiences decoding Japanese communications, where precision and tenacity yielded results, which he applied to corporate warfare. A hallmark example was the 1987 hostile takeover of Viacom International, where Redstone, through , launched a $3.4 billion bid against resistant management, securing voting control after a four-month on March 4, 1987. The battle involved intense shareholder solicitation and legal challenges to Viacom's defenses, leaving strained relationships with former executives but establishing Redstone's reputation for scorched-earth tactics. Similarly, Viacom's 1994 acquisition of Paramount Communications for $10 billion followed a fierce against Network Inc., during which Viacom filed suit on September 24, 1993, to enjoin 's rival bid on antitrust grounds, arguing it would stifle competition in cable programming. Courts ultimately dismissed the , but the litigation delayed QVC and facilitated Viacom's winning offer, demonstrating Redstone's use of regulatory threats to tilt negotiations. Redstone also wielded antitrust litigation offensively against perceived threats, as in 1993 when Viacom sued John Malone's (TCI), accusing it of "bully-boy tactics and other anticompetitive conduct" in markets to undermine Viacom's programming leverage. This suit, filed amid escalating carriage disputes, pressured TCI into concessions on distribution deals for channels like , illustrating how Redstone weaponized legal claims to extract favorable terms without outright concessions. Such maneuvers, while effective in consolidating power, drew criticism for prioritizing short-term victories over collaborative industry norms, contributing to Viacom's adversarial posture in Hollywood negotiations.

Content strategies and industry impact

Redstone's content philosophy centered on the principle that "content is king," positing that superior programming and were the primary drivers of value in media, surpassing mere distribution infrastructure. This approach guided his prioritization of acquisitions and investments in assets producing engaging, audience-captivating material over commoditized delivery channels. Under Redstone's leadership following the 1987 of Viacom, the company expanded its cable portfolio, including MTV Networks, which encompassed —launched in 1981 but significantly grown under his tenure to reach over 300 million households globally by emphasizing music videos and youth-oriented programming that disrupted traditional broadcast models. Viacom also invested in channels like and , focusing on niche, family-friendly, and irreverent content to build loyal demographics and recurring revenue through advertising and syndication. The 1994 acquisition of for $8.2 billion further exemplified his strategy of , allowing Viacom to produce films and television series—such as Titanic (1997), which grossed over $2.2 billion worldwide—then distribute them across cable outlets, theaters via , and home video through the 1994 Blockbuster purchase. This maximized revenue streams, with Paramount's output cross-promoted on Viacom networks to amplify viewership and merchandising. Redstone's tactics accelerated media industry consolidation, enabling Viacom to amass assets generating $13 billion in annual revenue by 1999 and influencing the shift toward integrated conglomerates that control production, distribution, and exhibition. His emphasis on cable challenged broadcast dominance, fostering a fragmented market where specialized content drove subscriber growth and ad dollars, a model echoed in later streaming expansions.

Holdings and financial maneuvers

Redstone structured his media empire primarily through , Inc. (NAI), the family-owned theater chain founded by his father, which served as a low-capital vehicle for acquiring and controlling voting stakes in public companies. NAI held super-voting Class A shares that conferred disproportionate influence—often exceeding 70% of voting power—while representing a minority of economic ownership, allowing Redstone to dictate strategy without proportional financial exposure. This dual-class structure, combined with NAI's steady cash flows from cinema operations, funded aggressive expansions into content production and distribution. A pivotal financial maneuver was the leveraged buyout of Viacom International Inc., executed by NAI in a hostile takeover valued at $3.4 billion, comprising cash and stock. Redstone committed approximately $450 million in personal equity, supplemented by $2.2 billion in bank debt, to outmaneuver Viacom's management-led buyout and rival bidders, securing control after four months of escalation. The debt was serviced using Viacom's cable and syndication revenues, demonstrating Redstone's reliance on operational cash flows to amortize high-leverage acquisitions amid the 1980s junk bond era. In 1994, Viacom pursued another debt-financed expansion by acquiring Paramount Communications Inc. for $10.1 billion in cash and stock, following a five-month bidding war that required four upward revisions from an initial $8.4 billion offer to prevail over QVC and Barry Diller. To mitigate the resulting leverage—pushing Viacom's debt above $10 billion—Redstone swiftly integrated Blockbuster Entertainment, purchasing the video rental chain for $8.4 billion later that year to harness its rental fees for debt repayment and diversification into home entertainment. The 1999 acquisition of CBS Corporation marked Redstone's largest maneuver, a $37.3 billion stock-and-cash merger billed as a combination of equals but effectively absorbing into Viacom, forming the second-largest U.S. after Time Warner. Financed partly through Viacom shares and assuming CBS's broadcast assets, the deal exploited synergies like cross-promotion of Paramount films on CBS networks, while NAI retained voting control. Redstone later split the entity in 2005 to isolate underperforming cable from stable broadcast holdings, optimizing value amid investor pressure, though NAI's debt vulnerabilities surfaced in when $1.6 billion in obligations prompted a $400 million non-voting share issuance to avert dilution of control.

Family and succession conflicts

Relations with children

Sumner Redstone and his first wife, Phyllis Gloria Raphael, whom he married in 1947, had two children: Shari Ellin Redstone, born April 14, 1954, and Brent Dale Redstone, born in 1951. The children were raised primarily by their mother in a suburb while Redstone focused on expanding the family business, . Redstone's relationship with son Brent deteriorated into estrangement, culminating in a public lawsuit filed by Brent in February 2006 against and his father. Brent alleged favoritism toward Shari in business decisions and misappropriation of family assets, seeking a larger share of the company's control and value. The dispute was settled in 2007 when Redstone bought out Brent's approximately one-sixth stake in for $240 million, after which the two had no further communication for over a decade. Brent, who had relocated to and pursued interests outside the media industry, was effectively sidelined from family operations. Redstone's dynamic with daughter Shari was more involved but marked by cycles of favor, conflict, and reconciliation, centered on succession at . Shari joined the family business in the , rising to president of in January 2000 and vice chair positions at Viacom and , positioning her as the presumed heir. Tensions escalated around 2007, when Redstone, then in his mid-80s, publicly questioned her qualifications, attempted to buy out her shares, and belittled her in board settings, leading to a period of estrangement over governance and control issues. By 2008, Redstone reaffirmed that Shari would not succeed him. However, as Redstone's health declined in the mid-2010s, the two reconciled, with Shari regaining influence and ultimately assuming leadership of the family holdings after his death in August 2020. Shari described their bond as one of shared love despite the battles, emphasizing her role in preserving the empire.

Estate disputes and capacity challenges

In October 2015, Manuela Herzer, one of Sumner Redstone's former live-in companions, filed a lawsuit in alleging that Redstone, then 92, lacked the mental capacity to execute changes to his documents, including revoking her role as his healthcare agent under a 2013 directive. Herzer claimed Redstone was mentally incompetent, citing instances where he allegedly could not recognize her or form coherent sentences, and accused of influencing him to favor family interests in his approximately $5 billion fortune, primarily held in trusts controlling . The suit sought over Redstone's person and estate to block further alterations. A similar challenge arose from another companion, Holland Redstone (no relation), who had received a $2 million gift from Redstone in 2013 but sued in 2015 after he revoked it, again questioning his and alleging by . Redstone's legal team countered with medical evaluations and testimony, including from his physician, asserting he understood his actions despite physical frailties from prior health issues like a 2015 stomach infection. In May 2016, Judge David J. Cowan dismissed Herzer's petition after Redstone testified briefly, ruling he possessed sufficient mental capacity; the decision hinged on evidence that Redstone could communicate intent, even non-verbally, and rejected claims of incapacity based on selective observations. The disputes extended into estate plan modifications, with Herzer contesting a 2015 revocation of prior bequests to her totaling over $13 million in property and cash, arguing Redstone was unable to comprehend the documents. In 2019, following a , Judge Cowan affirmed Redstone's capacity to amend his revocable trust and other instruments, noting consistent execution formalities and no evidence of fraud or sufficient to invalidate them. The cases settled shortly thereafter: Herzer agreed to repay $3.25 million in gifts and benefits received post-revocation, while Holland's claims resolved confidentially, effectively upholding the revised plans that consolidated control under family entities led by . These pre-death litigations highlighted tensions between Redstone's companions—who had benefited from his largesse during periods of isolation from his children—and , who reconciled with her father in 2016 after a prior estrangement, positioning herself to inherit operational influence over his media holdings via ' voting trust. No successful post-mortem will contests emerged after Redstone's death on August 11, 2020, as his estate passed through irrevocable trusts established decades earlier, with capacity rulings bolstering their validity against retrospective challenges. The outcomes underscored judicial deference to contemporaneous evidence of competence over anecdotal claims, amid broader family dynamics where Shari's advocacy aligned with preserving the empire's alignment under her stewardship.

Political positions

Views on regulation and free markets

Redstone consistently advocated for reduced government regulation in the media sector, viewing it as an impediment to business innovation and consolidation. In a 2002 statement supporting the UK's Communications Act, he expressed agreement with its deregulatory measures, stating, "I told I agreed with the proposed bill because I believe in ." This stance aligned with his efforts to expand Viacom's holdings, including the 1999 merger with , which was facilitated by the 1996 Telecommunications Act's relaxation of ownership caps from 25% to 35% national audience reach. He argued that such changes enabled competitive efficiencies without harming consumers, as evidenced by his dismissal of a 1999 antitrust inquiry into Networks' practices as "much ado about nothing." Regarding content regulation, Redstone opposed intrusive oversight, emphasizing parental and technological controls over state intervention. In a 2006 speech, he urged regulators to "stay out of our homes," highlighting the and viewer discretion as sufficient mechanisms for managing broadcast content amid concerns over indecency fines. He contended that media companies faced undue fear from regulatory threats, which stifled creative risk-taking essential to free enterprise. This position reflected a broader preference for market-driven solutions, where audience demand and , rather than mandates, shaped industry outcomes. While favoring deregulation for his own operations, Redstone selectively invoked antitrust principles against competitors. In 1993, he sued John Malone and , alleging monopolistic "bully-boy tactics" that restrained Viacom's cable distribution. Similarly, in the 2002 Eddins v. Redstone case involving Blockbuster's revenue-sharing deals, he was accused of anti-competitive strategies targeting independent video retailers, though courts ultimately ruled against broader conspiracy claims. These actions underscored a pragmatic approach: endorsing free-market consolidation when beneficial but challenging perceived restraints by , provided antitrust enforcement remained "applied in the normal course."

Endorsements and media influence

Redstone maintained a pragmatic approach to politics, prioritizing policies beneficial to his media enterprises over ideological alignment. Although he contributed financially to numerous Democratic candidates, including $2,500 to in 2012 and support for , he publicly endorsed Republican incumbent for re-election in October 2004. Redstone justified the endorsement by emphasizing business imperatives, stating that "Republican values are what U.S. companies need" and clarifying, "I vote for what's good for Viacom. I vote, today, Republican." This stance contrasted with perceptions of Viacom and as liberal-leaning outlets, highlighting his willingness to diverge from donor patterns when corporate interests—such as regulatory environments favorable to media consolidation—were at stake. As controlling shareholder and executive chairman of Viacom and later , Redstone wielded substantial influence over political discourse through content curation and executive appointments. His empire encompassed networks like , , and Paramount, which broadcast election coverage, entertainment programming, and youth-oriented media that indirectly shaped voter attitudes on issues like war, culture, and regulation. During the 2004 campaign, under Redstone's oversight, aired a segment questioning Bush's service via disputed documents, which later unraveled in the Rathergate , drawing accusations of bias despite Redstone's pro-Bush endorsement. Redstone's philosophy emphasized profitability over partisanship, leading to decisions like promoting content that maximized viewership while navigating FCC scrutiny, thereby amplifying voices aligned with deregulation and free-market policies he favored for industry growth. This approach extended to suppressing material deemed harmful to Viacom's interests, as in his fallout with over advocacy, underscoring how personal and corporate leverage intersected with broader cultural-political narratives.

Philanthropic efforts

Major donations and foundations

Sumner Redstone established the Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation in 1986 to support causes in , , , and poverty alleviation. By the time of his death in 2020, the foundation and Redstone personally had distributed over $260 million in grants, emphasizing empirical advancements in and literacy programs. In April 2007, Redstone committed $105 million through the foundation to fund research and patient care in and burn recovery, targeting institutions like FasterCures for accelerating medical solutions. Major educational gifts included $18 million to in September 2012 for scholarships and programs, $10 million to in January 2014 to bolster public service fellowships, and $10 million to the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts around the same period. The foundation also directed funds toward global poverty reduction, donating $1.5 million to the Global Poverty Project in 2011 and an additional $650,000 in June 2012 to support its $100 million campaign for awareness and action. In December 2013, Redstone contributed $20 million to the , advancing its $350 million campaign for retiree care in the entertainment industry, bringing the total raised to over $300 million at that point. Other notable grants encompassed $2.5 million to for a narrative journalism professorship and support for cultural institutions such as the and . In 2012 alone, Redstone transferred $32 million to the foundation, enabling $29 million in disbursements that year across its priority areas. These efforts reflected Redstone's focus on tangible outcomes in health innovation and professional training, though the foundation's assets and grant-making continued under family oversight post-2020, with $1.5 million awarded in 2023.

Criticisms of selective giving

Redstone's charitable contributions, estimated to exceed $150 million overall, were concentrated in areas such as education, medical research, and poverty alleviation, including $30 million to University's School of in 2014, $10 million to Harvard Law School's programs in 2014, and $24 million to the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine for in 2010. However, these efforts faced scrutiny for selectivity tied to personal connections, notably through the Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation's support for initiatives involving his companions. In 2012, the foundation donated $650,000 to the Global Poverty Project as part of its $100 million campaign, amid reports that $8 million in Redstone-funded gifts supported a related charity employing his girlfriend Holly Andelin and her relatives on , with Andelin earning $150,000 in commissions. Such arrangements prompted questions about whether donations prioritized associates over disinterested public benefit, especially as they coincided with broader legal challenges over Redstone's capacity and large personal transfers exceeding $150 million to two women between 2010 and 2015, which, while not formal , underscored patterns of targeted giving amid allegations of influence. Critics, including those covering his estate battles, highlighted how this selectivity blurred lines between and personal favoritism, potentially diminishing the perceived integrity of his foundation's work despite its focus on verifiable causes like literacy ($1 million to Literacy Inc. in 2013) and narrative studies ($2.5 million to in support of a professorship).

Personal life

Marriages and relationships

Sumner Redstone married Phyllis Gloria Raphael in 1947. The couple had two children, Shari and Brent, before their ended in in 1999, following Phyllis's filing of a $3 billion lawsuit accusing Redstone of and cruelty after 52 years together. Redstone's second marriage was to Paula Fortunato, a former schoolteacher approximately 40 years his junior, in 2003. They divorced in 2009 after five years, with court filings citing and a pre-existing marital settlement agreement covering assets. Prior to his second marriage, Redstone maintained an 18-year relationship with producer Christine Peters, which overlapped with the dissolution of his first marriage and included plans for engagement that did not materialize. In his later years, following the divorce from Fortunato, Redstone lived in his Beverly Hills mansion with two companions, Sydney Holland and Manuela Herzer, who exerted significant influence over his household for several years until disputes led to their removal in 2015. Holland, his longtime live-in girlfriend and brief fiancée, was ejected after Redstone learned of her romantic involvement with another man.

Health decline and death

Redstone's health began to decline markedly in the mid-2010s, following multiple bouts of in 2014 that severely impaired his ability to speak and eat, necessitating tube feeding. By 2015, reports emerged questioning his physical robustness and mental acuity, amid lawsuits from former associates alleging incapacity, though Redstone passed mental competency evaluations, including one in September 2015. These health challenges fueled ongoing scrutiny of his fitness to lead Viacom and , with his daughter Shari assuming greater operational control by 2016 as his condition rendered him increasingly reclusive. Over the subsequent years, Redstone's deterioration continued, with limited public appearances and reliance on caregivers, exacerbating tensions at his media holdings. He retained formal titles as executive chairman of ViacomCBS until his death but exerted minimal direct influence. Redstone died on August 11, 2020, at his home at the age of 97. The cause was not publicly disclosed, though sources confirmed it was unrelated to , following a prolonged period of frailty.

Legacy and evaluations

Achievements in media consolidation

Under Sumner Redstone's leadership, , the family-owned theater chain he assumed control of in , expanded significantly from regional operations into a multinational exhibitor with over 1,200 screens across 12 countries by the late 1990s, providing a financial foundation for broader media investments. Redstone's pivotal consolidation began in with a hostile takeover of Viacom International for approximately $3.4 billion, transforming the cable programming distributor into a cornerstone of his growing empire and leveraging its assets in , , and Showtime for synergistic expansion. In 1994, Viacom acquired Paramount Communications for $9.8 billion in cash and stock—facilitated by the prior purchase of Blockbuster Video, which generated necessary cash flow—adding , publishing, and additional broadcast properties to Redstone's portfolio, thereby consolidating film production, distribution, and home entertainment under unified control. The 1999 merger of Viacom with , valued at around $35.6 billion in a deal announced on September 7, represented the largest media transaction of the at the time, integrating CBS's broadcast television, radio, and outdoor advertising with Viacom's cable and film assets to form a vertically integrated conglomerate reaching over 80% of U.S. households. Through ' controlling stake—retained even after the 2006 spin-off of and Viacom into separate entities—Redstone maintained oversight of these assets, enabling further synergies in content production and distribution amid the shift toward cable and dominance.

Criticisms of corporate culture

Redstone's leadership at Viacom and cultivated a corporate culture criticized for prioritizing personal loyalty, family control, and executive whims over merit and accountability, often manifesting in power struggles and defiance of professional advice. He overrode executives' objections by investing $500,000 to promote , an all-female band deemed "unwatchable," declaring, "I won’t be defied." This authoritarian approach extended to , where repeated trust amendments—over 40 times in his later years—favored companions and disrupted succession, intertwining family vendettas with boardroom decisions. Critics, drawing from Unscripted by and , highlight a pervasive that permeated the environment, with Redstone using his influence to proposition young women crudely, such as asking a 26-year-old if she liked to be spanked or leaving voicemails promising life-altering opportunities in exchange for favors. His companions, Sydney Holland and Manuela Herzer, extracted $150 million while isolating him from family, further entrenching a dynamic of exploitation that undermined corporate stability. The tone set by Redstone contributed to tolerance of , exemplified by 2018 allegations against CEO involving unwanted advances from 12 women, amid reports of a "top-down" culture where powerful older men wielded unchecked authority over subordinates. An anonymous insider affirmed, "I can say every report about ’ toxic work environment is true," attributing it to moral complicity under Redstone family oversight via ' voting control. This dysfunction, deemed more severe than the Roy family in Succession, reflected a broader legacy of manipulation and predation.

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  83. https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/colbert-cancellation-trump
  84. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2006/12/redstone200612
  85. https://www.paramount.com/news/sumner-m-redstone-chairman-emeritus-of-viacomcbs-dies-at-97
  86. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=REDS002
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  120. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/feb/18/sumner-redstone-family-viacom-unscripted-book
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  122. https://www.marketplace.org/story/2023/02/13/how-metoo-and-boardroom-politics-collided-with-the-redstone-media-empire
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