A groundbreaking report has alleged that Jeff Zucker, the former CEO of CNN, attempted to recruit wealthy billionaires to purchase the troubled news network. However, representatives for Zucker have vehemently denied these claims. According to Variety, Zucker approached influential figures such as Jeff Bezos, Laurene Powell Jobs, Alex Soros, and Roman Abramovich to secure funding for a deal to privatize the cable channel. Zucker reportedly enlisted the services of international law firm Clifford Chance in his pursuit to acquire CNN Worldwide. Despite Warner Bros. Discovery, the network’s owner, stating that there are no plans to sell, Zucker has frequently been rumored as a potential buyer. Zucker’s spokesperson issued a comprehensive denial, refuting any suggestion that he has made efforts to purchase CNN. The denial was characterized as unusually thorough by The Post. The report also alleges that Zucker’s interest in acquiring CNN was mentioned in a letter from Allied Turkish Bank IBU Northern Cyprus to Clifford Chance’s Istanbul office. The magazine claimed that Zucker also explored securing the involvement of Mario Ferreira, the media mogul who owns CNN Portugal, as an investor. However, Zucker’s representatives have refuted these claims as well, emphasizing that he has never discussed buying CNN with Bezos, Powell Jobs, Soros, Abramovich, or Ferreira. Critics have contested Zucker’s denials, arguing that representatives acting on his behalf have approached these billionaires. Zucker’s team dismissed these allegations, reiterating that he has never engaged in discussions about purchasing CNN with anyone. The Post is seeking comments from Variety, CNN, Warner Bros. Discovery, Bezos, Abramovich, Powell Jobs, and Soros. Meanwhile, Variety has expressed support for the author of its report, Tatiana Siegel, in response to claims made against her. Zucker’s camp is also denying a separate allegation by Variety that RedBird, the private equity firm he collaborated with last year to establish a $1 billion venture, was preparing to acquire CNN through a deal with Pandion Partners, a mergers and acquisitions firm. Zucker’s representative confirmed that he has no knowledge of Pandion Partners and no affiliation with Clifford Chance. Variety claims that Zucker plotted to regain control of CNN shortly after being ousted in February of last year due to his undisclosed relationship with Gollust, a former CNN employee. The publication suggests that Zucker undermined his successor, Chris Licht, who was appointed as CNN boss by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. Zucker’s spokesperson has refuted these allegations as well as the claim that he discussed a possible CNN acquisition with Powell Jobs. Zucker’s representatives criticized Variety, accusing the publication of compromising journalistic standards. They expressed disappointment at the inclusion of fabricated anecdotes and incidents in the article despite their previous objections. Zaslav dismissed Licht earlier this year following a magazine profile in The Atlantic that portrayed Licht as an ineffective leader who had created tension among CNN staff. Licht has not yet provided a comment on these allegations.
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