Former Vice CEO Shane Smith Pocketed $100 Million From the Media Company (Report)

“Scream VI,” the first instalment of the adored slasher series, is unquestionably on course to set box office records for the series.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Another box office slay for Ghostface. “Scream VI” will cross $100 million in domestic ticket sales on Thursday. It’s the first installment in the long-running slasher series to hit the coveted milestone in 26 years, since 1997’s “Scream 2” ended its theatrical run with $101 million. In the coming days, “Scream VI” will overtake the original 1996 “Scream” ($103 million) as the highest-grossing entry in North America, not adjusted for inflation. Paramount and Spyglass brought the sixth chapter to the big screen in March, crushing franchise records with its $44.5 million debut. “Scream VI” has also collected $56.25 million at the international box office, bringing its global tally to $156 million. The first “Scream” still stands as the biggest worldwide earner of the bunch with $173 million, followed by the sequel with $172 million.

Media mogul and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was admitted to intensive care at a hospital in Milan on Wednesday and is in serious but stable condition according to local media. 

UPDATED: Rupert Murdoch and Ann Lesley Smith are no longer engaged, Deadline has confirmed, only weeks after news that the two were planning to tie the knot this summer. Smith was set to be wife No. 5 for the media mogul and chairman of Fox Corp.

Stephen Smith‘s body has been exhumed for a second autopsy.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Endeavor is bringing together two of the world’s biggest combat-sports franchises — UFC and WWE — in a blockbuster merger announced Monday. It’s a deal in which “one plus one equals three,” said Endeavor president and COO Mark Shapiro, who will serve in the same role for the merged UFC-WWE. The pact, valuing the combined company at roughly $21.4 billion, is anticipated to close in the second half of 2023. The deal will result in an estimated $50 million to $100 million in annualized run-rate cost synergies, according to Endeavor, including by moving WWE to Endeavor’s back-office infrastructure. Shapiro said Endeavor, when it acquired UFC, realized $70 million in cost savings.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Universal Music Group announced on Wednesday that its Board of Directors has extended the contract of Lucian Grainge, the company’s chairman and CEO, until May 1, 2028. According to the announcement, the “extended and amended” agreement transitions Grainge from an all-cash compensation package to one that is a combination of equity and cash and includes an equity compensation program with “a broad set of performance-based objectives aligned with shareholders’ interest and corresponding to the company’s long-term growth strategy. To assure the compensation program is aligned with shareholders’ interest, the majority of the compensation package’s economic value will be paid in UMG equity and UMG performance-based stock options.” Grainge’s annual salary under the new agreement will be reduced by more than two-thirds from his current salary, to $5 million, the announcement continues. Subject to the achievement of performance criteria, he will be eligible for an annual bonus with a target of $10 million. The EBITA bonus from his prior employment agreement has been eliminated and Grainge will only be entitled to the contingent bonus under his prior employment agreement on a pro rata basis until March 31, 2023. The equity components of the program include annual grants of $20 million, comprised of as much as 50% Performance Share Units (PSUs) — with annual PSU goals set by the Board of Directors — and the remainder comprised of Restricted Share Units (RSUs). 

David Zaslav’s compensation for 2022 totaled nearly $39.3 million, hefty but well down from the previous year when the figure was swelled to $246 million by a large option grant.

Mike Pence is being told to testify.

Jewel claims her that now-estranged mother stole millions upon millions of dollars from her as her career skyrocketed. While appearing on the "Verywell Mind" podcast, the singer spoke of her financial struggles and the huge debt she was saddled with after her mom's alleged embezzlement. "I didn't really realize what my mom was until I was 30-something. I woke up and realized she embezzled all of my money, over $100 million," Jewel said.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor In February of last year, as controversy broiled around Joe Rogan’s racially charged language and COVID-related misinformation on multiple editions of his Spotify podcast, the streaming giant’s CEO attempted to defuse the situation by apologizing to his aggrieved staff and pledging $100 million “for the licensing, development, and marketing of music (artists and songwriters) and audio content from historically marginalized groups.” Nearly 14 months later, that $100 million “Creator Equity Fund” has spent less than 10% of its funding on that work,” according to a report in Bloomberg. The initiative was behind schedule in hiring an eight-person staff to oversee the project and “has suffered from shifting priorities,” the report said, citing unnamed people familiar with the effort. At the beginning of this year, the fund had not completed its 2023 budget and had not determined its priority projects, according to a memo the publication said it had obtained, and another fund intended to promote diversity in podcasts suffered after that business was hit by layoffs last year, a union representing workers said.

The chairwoman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee opened a hearing featuring the CEO of TikTok by telling him that “your platform should be banned.”

Musician Jewel is opening up about her rocky relationship with her mother, Lenedra Carroll, whom she claims stole millions of dollars from her.

Jewel got a lot off her chest when she joined the and claimed, among other things, that her mother embezzled millions and millions of dollars from her.In a candid conversation with host and licensed therapist Amy Morin, the 48-year-old singer claimed that an investigation revealed her mother embezzled more than $100 million of her money. She added that, at 34 years old, she realized she was $3 million in debt, and she pointed the finger at her mother.«Thirty-four years old, I realize I'm $3 million in debt, realize my mom stole it, realize everything I thought my mom was isn't what she was,» Jewel alleged.

Jewel is sharing the big ways her parents did her wrong.

Rupert Murdoch just announced that he’s engaged to Ann Lesley Smith, less than a year after finalizing his divorce from model Jerry Hall.

The sporting life! Kim Kardashian treated 7-year-old son Saint and his friends to a soccer match in Paris — and they got to interact with some very famous athletes.

Rupert Murdoch is officially engaged to former police chaplain Ann Lesley Smith.

Rupert Murdoch is engaged, again.

Former Inter Milan and Brazil defender Miranda has admitted he would have liked to have played for Manchester United during his professional career.