Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav saw his 2025 pay package triple to $165 million from $51.9 million the year before on option awards valued at $109.6 million. The grant was part of an amended employment agreement with the chief executive last year as a one-time bonus tied to a plan to split WBD in two, and the company opted to keep it in place although the separation never happened.

A merger with Paramount is pending, instead, which will result in a fat golden parachute payout to Zaslav if and when it closes.

“Certain of the Committee’s actions in 2025 were designed to support retention and incentivize our pursuit of other strategic options.…