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Paramount stock jumped 11 percent today after news confirmed that Middle East funds are officially backing the Warner Bros Discovery takeover. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Qatar Investment Authority, and Abu Dhabi's L'imad Holding Company are contributing $24 billion to the deal. That is not a rumor anymore, it is in an SEC filing

The stock had fallen 20 percent this year before today. Now it is up to $10.90 on three times the normal trading volume. Investors like that Larry Ellison is spreading the risk around instead of carrying the whole thing himself

The deal is supposed to close by September. Paramount says the Middle East investors will not have any governance rights, no board seats, no voting power. That is what they said in the filing. But Democrats on Capitol Hill are already pushing for a CFIUS review because the money is coming from governments, not private funds

Saudi Arabia's PIF is the same fund that launched LIV Golf and paid hundreds of millions to PGA players. They have been buying into sports, media, and tech for years. This is just the biggest Hollywood deal they have been part of

Netflix pointed to the foreign ownership issue when they were still competing for Warner Bros. They lost, but they were not wrong about the scrutiny. The question now is whether the government steps in or lets the deal go through

Paramount stock is up. The investors are happy. The Democrats are worried. The Middle East money is in

Do you think the government blocks this deal because of the foreign money or does it go through without a fight?

Paramount Stock Jumped 11 Percent Because Saudi and Qatar Are Officially in the Deal Now