Jeff Zucker is not looking to make a push to purchase CNN, according to one of his business partners.
Linked with RedBird Capital, Zucker had been listed as a potential buyer should Warner Bros. Discovery seek to offload the struggling news network. RedBird Capital founder Gerry Cardinale claims that is not on the list of priorities for Zucker or the company.
“No,” Cardinale said when asked if he or Zucker were interested in buying CNN while speaking at an industry event. “I would not have the longevity that I’ve had if I ran my business running around town talking about deals in a way that’s, frankly, disrespectful to David Zaslav. I’m kind of amused and irritated by it.”
A follow-up question asked if Zucker would be interested in purchasing the network without Cardinale, to which he replied “There is no with or without me”.
After acknowledging that it would be “a great Hollywood story” for Zucker to return to CNN and buy the network, Cardinale noted “It’s not for sale”, adding “That’s not how we do business”.
A report last month from The New York Post claimed Zucker was “likely” to place a bid to purchase CNN later this year. The report also claimed RedBird Capital could be a potential buyer of CBS should the network hit the market.
Zucker served as the President of CNN from 2013 until he resigned after failing to disclose a romantic relationship he developed with a subordinate in 2022.
