Aggressive Acquisitions
In 1987, Redstone achieved "a hostile takeover" of media giant Viacom, which owned MTV and Nickelodeon. In 1994, after a fierce bidding war against Barry Diller and John Malone, he purchased Paramount Communications, gaining control of Paramount Pictures. Under his leadership, the famed film studio produced major moneymakers like Saving Private Ryan and Titanic, one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. Then, in 2000, Redstone led the merger of CBS and Viacom, the biggest media deal up until that point in history. Like Waystar Royco, the conglomerate encompasses holdings beyond media, including parks and cruises.