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Musk invests $1 billion in Ellison's Skydance

CNBC reported Elon Musk made a roughly $1 billion equity investment in Skydance, the renamed Paramount Skydance, weeks after its $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery that was financed by Larry Ellison's family trust. Neither Musk nor Skydance has confirmed the investment.

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Elon MuskInvestmentMediaPSKYAI read · — Unconfirmed

Musk invests about $1 billion in Skydance

The move

Semafor and CNBC reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that Elon Musk made a roughly $1 billion equity investment in Skydance, alongside other investors including Skydance board member Laurene Powell Jobs. The investment follows Paramount Skydance's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, which closed earlier in October and was backstopped by a trust controlled by Larry Ellison, whose son David Ellison leads Skydance. Representatives for Skydance and Musk did not respond to requests for comment.

Why it matters

It would tie two of the world's richest men together in a third venture, after Ellison backed Musk's purchase of Twitter in 2022 and co-invests with him in xAI.

The bear case

Neither Musk nor Skydance has confirmed the investment, and the amount, stake size and terms all rest on unnamed sources.

What to watch

Whether Skydance or Musk confirms the investment, or it shows up in a future SEC filing.

Source · Cord Cutters NewsRead original ↗Report an error

Francoise Bettencourt Meyers & familyEarningsLuxury & retailORAI read · ▲ Beat

L'Oréal's Q3 sales jump 11.9%, beating forecasts

The move

L'Oréal reported third-quarter 2026 sales of about €11.6 billion, up 11.9% as reported and 7.2% like-for-like, beating analysts' forecast of about 5.9% like-for-like growth. The company said demand was strong across all its divisions and in all regions, including China, with its luxury division accelerating. CEO Nicolas Hieronimus said "the global beauty market has once again demonstrated its resilience in a challenging environment."

Why it matters

It shows the world's largest cosmetics group returning to stronger growth after a slower start to the year, even as China's luxury demand has been weak elsewhere.

The bear case

Favorable currency moves and easy comparisons from a weak year-ago quarter flatter some of the reported growth.

What to watch

L'Oréal's full-year 2026 results, expected in February 2027.

Source · Il Sole 24 OreRead original ↗Report an error

Elon MuskInvestmentAerospaceSPCXAI read · ▲ Paper gain

Boring Co. stake added $561M to SpaceX's profit

The move

SpaceX's third-quarter net income of $4.4 billion included a $561 million unrealized gain on its equity stake in The Boring Company, about 13% of the total, after Musk's tunneling venture raised $3 billion the previous month at a roughly $20 billion valuation. SpaceX received no cash from the gain; it simply marked its existing stake up to the new valuation. Quarterly revenue rose 161% year over year to $14.6 billion, and capital expenditures were $19.6 billion, with management guiding to $35 billion to $40 billion in the fourth quarter.

Why it matters

It shows how much of SpaceX's reported profit this quarter was a non-cash accounting markup tied to a sister Musk company, not operating cash flow, during a quarter of heavy AI and Starship spending.

The bear case

The underlying business is still real: revenue grew 161% and SpaceX also swung to a $2.8 billion operating profit from a loss a year earlier.

What to watch

Whether SpaceX's $35 billion to $40 billion fourth-quarter capex guidance pushes it to raise more debt.

Source · The Motley FoolRead original ↗Report an error

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What to watch

Whether Musk or Skydance confirms the reported $1 billion investment.Oct. 27: Dangote Petroleum Refinery's roughly $1.6 billion Lagos share offering, already extended once, is set to close today.SpaceX's fourth-quarter capital spending, guided at $35 billion to $40 billion.

Quick hits

Dangote Petroleum Refinery's roughly $1.6 billion Lagos stock offering, already extended once on strong demand, is scheduled to close today, Oct. 27.

If you run a business, not a fund

Watch for non-cash gains dressing up a profit number: SpaceX's reported $4.4 billion quarterly profit included a $561 million paper markup on a stake in a sister company, not cash collected.Strength can hide in an otherwise cautious category: L'Oréal's double-digit Q3 beat shows beauty demand holding up even where other consumer categories are soft.Unconfirmed reports of billionaire-to-billionaire deals (Musk's reported Skydance stake) are worth tracking before they're official, since financing and ownership ties often surface this way first.