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Zee needs strategy shift to survive after Sony merger plan crumbles

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Zee needs strategy shift to survive after Sony merger plan crumbles

ENGALURU/MUMBAI: The collapse of a planned $10 billion merger with Sony’s unit has heaped pressure on Zee Entertainment, one of India’s most popular TV networks, to pursue deals with new partners or focus on areas such as digital entertainment to revive its fortunes.

A Zee-Sony India merger would have created a media powerhouse in the world’s most populous nation with 90-plus channels across sports, entertainment and news segments, which, India’s antitrust body at one time said could have “un-paralleled bargaining power” when backed by Sony’s global reach.

But after two years of deal talks, the Japanese company this week scrapped the deal saying terms of its merger agreement were not met and is demanding $90 million in termination fees via arbitration. Zee denies any lapses and has started its own counter-challenge legally.

Both Sony and Zee lose out as the merger could have helped them emerge stronger in India’s $28 billion media and entertainment space, especially when rivals – billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance and Walt Disney – are holding merger talks for their India media assets.

But the scrapping of the merger and the legal fight with Sony is seen jolting Zee more as it already faces a host of regulatory, business and financial challenges, according to analysts and three industry executives with direct knowledge of its thinking.
Zee’s advertising revenues fell to $488 million for the 2022-23 year from around $600 million five years ago. Cash reserves dropped to $86 million from $116 million in that period.

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A game of bluff scuttled Sony-Zee’s plans to create $10 billion media giant

Its CEO, Punit Goenka, is facing the market regulator’s investigation for suspected diversion of company funds – allegations he has denied, but which became a key sticking point leading to the collapse of the Sony talks, Reuters reported earlier.

“Running Zee independently and reviving it looks tough. Lot of stakeholder trust has been eroded, rebuilding that is the priority,” said one of the industry executives, who added Zee may need to now look for other buyers to revive itself.

Analysts at Emkay Global concurred, saying in a report this week Zee was likely to attract other suitors “with ‘going it alone’ being a low-probability event”, adding “the potential Reliance-Disney merger can further weaken Zee’s position, leaving it at a vulnerable spot in the overall industry”.

A second industry source said Zee’s top priority right now is to revive its business and challenge Sony’s allegations legally.

Sony-Zee merger

Sony-Zee merger

Zee’s shares have fallen 31.2% since the Sony deal collapse. Zee and Sony did not respond to requests for comment.

Melodramatic Hindi Dramas

In a letter to employees, reviewed by Reuters, Sony India CEO N.P. Singh said this week the company “will actively explore new organic and inorganic possibilities to strengthen” its India presence.

Started in 1992 by CEO Goenka’s father, Subhash Chandra, referred to as the “Father of Indian television”, Zee was India’s first private TV channel that quickly rose to become a household name by offering melodramatic Hindi dramas.

Shashi Shekhar Vempati, a former CEO of state-run Indian broadcaster Prasar Bharati, said Zee could still leverage its archival library of popular shows, create more entertainment content which is its “core strength”, and promote its streaming platform that has lagged market leaders such as Netflix .

Zee digital revenues were 9% of its overall revenues in 2022-23, much lower than 16% for Disney India and 15% for Sony, analysts at India’s Ambit Capital said in a report.

“Zee hasn’t lost its core strength of producing compelling entertainment content, which it should focus on,” Vempati said, adding they could “carve out a niche” with their digital streaming platform.

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Meet World’s Richest Family Who live In $478m House, Own 700 Cars

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Meet World’s Richest Family Who live In $478m House, Own 700 Cars

According to The Jerusalem Post, the Nahyan royal family of the United Arab Emirates is a dominant corporate and political force in the Gulf area, as well as one of the world’s wealthiest families.

Their net worth is greater than the combined wealth of Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the head of the Nahyan family, is the UAE’s President and the ruler of Abu Dhabi.

He has 18 brothers, 11 sisters, nine children, and eighteen grandchildren. All of the family members reside together in the “Qasr Al-Watan,” a massive edifice spanning 380,000 square meters and valued at $478 million.

The family’s real estate holdings comprises opulent houses and developments both in the UAE and abroad.

They own eight aircraft, including one Airbus A320-200 and three Boeing 787-9s. Sheikh Mohammed’s personal collection includes a $478 million Boeing 747 and a $176 million Boeing 787.

In addition, they have three of the world’s largest yachts.

Their car collection is nothing short of astounding. According to reports, their vehicles are split out over four museums in the UAE and Morocco. The family owns more than 700 cars, including Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

The family owns 81% of the City Football Group, which includes football clubs like Manchester City, Mumbai City, Melbourne City, and New York City.

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Want to work at Meta? Average salary package in Mark Zuckerberg’s company is…

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Want to work at Meta. Average salary package in Mark Zuckerberg's company is

Big companies often get highlighted for the huge compensations that they offer and the perks one gets while working for them. Meta’s average package is a whopping $379,000, according to a recent SEC filing. The company, which employs around 67,000 people, said that its median employee made over $379,000 in the year 2023.

Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing at the US Capitol, in Washington, US. (Reuters)

The average pay for a tech position falls between $35,000 to $120,000 depending on the role, but Meta’s pay is significantly higher than that. However, giants like Google and Amazon offer packages that go well above $300,000 for similar positions.

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Also, higher-level software engineers and researchers in Meta make more in base pay than product designers and user experience professionals in the company.

What Mark Zuckerberg said on working at Meta?

CEO Mark Zuckerberg said earlier this year that working at Meta is not easy even if it offers such lucrative packages. He said that the year 2024 will be the “year of efficiency” in the company as he expects employees to maximize output and productivity.

How much does Mark Zuckerberg earn?

In the year 2023, Mark Zuckerberg noted a total compensation of $24.4 million in ‘other compensation,’ and a base salary of $1. According to Fortune, this covered his costs related to his private jet. His wealth has increased by over $47 billion this year alone, despite receiving a nominal salary of $1 since 2013.

As per reports, the company’s net profit in the January to March period rose to $12.4 billion with total revenue up by 27 percent, at $36.5 billion.

The company wrote in a filing, “We believe that Mr. Zuckerberg’s role puts him in a unique position: he is synonymous with Meta and, as a result, negative sentiment regarding our company is directly associated with, and often transferred to, Mr. Zuckerberg. Mr. Zuckerberg is one of the most-recognized executives in the world, in large part as a result of the size of our user base and our continued exposure to global media, legislative, and regulatory attention.”

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Egypt’s Richest Man, Nassef Sawiris’ Wealth Surges by $410M in Just over a Week.

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Nassef Sawiris, chief executive officer of Orascom Construction, speaks during a television interview at Bloomberg headquarters in New York, New York, on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012. Photographer: Stephen Yang/Bloomberg News

Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris, the richest individual in his home nation and one of Africa’s most powerful businessmen, has seen his fortune increase by $410 million in just nine days. This strengthens his position atop the continent’s wealth pyramid and moves him up the worldwide rich list.

Sawiris’ net worth increased from $8.27 billion on April 16 to $8.68 billion as reported by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which analyzes the fortunes of the world’s 500 wealthiest individuals. This works out to an amazing average daily gain of $45.56 million.

The wealth increase reverses prior losses and brings Sawiris’ year-to-date gains to $271 million. This is primarily due to the performance of his investments in the Dutch fertilizer firm OCI N.V. and the German apparel brand Adidas. Sawiris owns 38.8 percent of OCI and 6% of adidas.

Adidas’ share price has risen 11.51 percent since April 16, from €202.50 ($217.03) to €225.80 ($242). This spike pushed the company’s market capitalization beyond $40 billion, increasing Sawiris’ ownership by an estimated $266.63 million. His stake in OCI has also increased by $35 million, reaching $2.17 billion from $2.13 billion. Sawiris’ surprising leap propels him nine ranks up the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, from 300th to 291st.

Adidas’ recent increases have boosted market confidence in its 2023 success. Despite ending its partnership with Kanye West’s Yeezy brand in October 2022, Adidas topped expectations with a €268-million ($292 million) operating profit, exceeding projections by roughly €1 billion ($1.08 billion).

Adidas is looking for fresh collaborations following the Yeezy split. CEO Bjorn Gulden hinted about possible collaborations with pop culture luminaries, including Taylor Swift as a candidate.

Furthermore, a significant coup for the corporation is Liverpool Football Club’s forthcoming transfer from Nike to Adidas uniforms beginning in the 2025-2026 season, securing a lucrative five-year contract gained after Adidas outbid Nike and Puma.

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