What Is David Zaslav’s Net Worth And Salary?

David Zaslav, a prominent media executive, boasts a net worth of $400 million. Currently, he serves as the CEO and President of Warner Bros. Discovery, a company formed from the 2022 merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia. Prior to this role, Zaslav was the CEO and President of Discovery, where he transformed the network from educational programming to reality television, overseeing popular networks like HGTV, TLC, Animal Planet, Food Network, and the Oprah Winfrey Network. As CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, Zaslav now oversees Warner Brothers film and TV studio, HBO, CNN, TNT, and TBS, in addition to the aforementioned reality networks.

David Zaslav Salary

David Zaslav began his tenure at Discovery in 2006, and between then and the end of 2022, he earned $750 million in compensation. His base salary is currently $3.1 million, but with stock grants and bonuses, his annual compensation can be significantly higher. For example:

• In 2008, Discovery went public, and in 2009, filings showed Zaslav earned $11.7 million the previous year. The following year, he earned $42.6 million.
• In 2014, his salary reached $152 million, making him the highest-paid corporate executive in the world.
• In 2018, he earned $129.4 million.
• In 2021, his total compensation was $246.6 million, with the majority coming from a $203 million stock option grant.
• In 2022, he earned $39 million, broken down as follows:
  • $3.1 million base salary
  • $12 million in stock awards
  • $1.4 million in stock options
  • $21.8 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation (bonus)
  • $925,489 in other compensation

In 2023, during a year marked by multiple Hollywood strikes where his pay was frequently scrutinized, Zaslav earned $50 million, detailed as:

• $3 million base salary
• $23 million in stock awards
• $22 million cash bonus
• $770,000 in other compensation (including personal security and private jet travel)

Early Life

David Zaslav was born on January 15, 1960, in Brooklyn, New York City, into a Jewish family of Ukrainian and Polish heritage. At age eight, his family moved to Ramapo, New York, where he attended Ramapo High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Binghamton University in 1982 and a JD with honors from Boston University School of Law in 1985. Zaslav began his career as an attorney with LeBoeuf, Lamb, Lieby, and MacRae.

NBCUniversal

In 1989, Zaslav joined NBC, eventually becoming President of the Cable and Domestic TV and New Media Distribution arm. He oversaw content distribution and negotiated cable and satellite carriage for NBCUniversal networks. He was instrumental in launching CNBC and MSNBC and oversaw channels including Bravo, A&E, Telemundo, the History Channel, and National Geographic.

Discovery

In late 2006, Zaslav succeeded Judith McHale as CEO of Discovery. Under his leadership, Discovery launched new networks like OWN, Velocity, and Planet Green, and shifted towards reality television. Discovery went public in 2008 and became a Fortune 500 company in 2014. In 2018, Discovery acquired Scripps Networks Interactive.

Warner Bros. Discovery

In 2022, Zaslav oversaw the merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia into Warner Bros. Discovery. His executive compensation package included a $3 million annual salary, a $22 million annual bonus, and a contract extension with stock options valued at $190 million. Zaslav faced criticism for reducing the content library on HBO Max for tax write-offs and canceling nearly finished projects like “Batgirl” and “Scoob! Holiday Haunt,” resulting in a significant loss to the company’s market cap.

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Zaslav also faced backlash for appointing Chris Licht as CEO of CNN without interviewing internal candidates. Licht’s attempt to shift CNN’s political stance led to his firing in mid-2023. Additionally, Zaslav’s cuts to Turner Classic Movies drew ire from filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.

Other Appointments

Zaslav sits on numerous boards, including Sirius XM, Grupo Televisa, the Paley Center for Media, Syracuse University, and the USC Shoah Foundation. He chairs the Auschwitz: The Past is Present Committee, promoting Holocaust awareness.

David Zaslav Honors and Awards

Zaslav’s accolades include the Steven J. Ross Humanitarian Award from the United Jewish Appeal Federation of New York (2012), the Fred Dressler Leadership Award from Syracuse University’s S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications (2014), induction into the Cable Hall of Fame (2017), and being named one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People” in 2022.

Personal Life

David met his wife, Pam, in high school. They have three children: Alison, Jamie, and Jordon. The family owns multiple homes across the country. In 2010, they paid $25 million for Conan O’Brien’s Central Park West duplex. In 2012, they bought a $24.65 million home in East Hampton. In 2020, they purchased a $16 million mansion in Beverly Hills, previously owned by producer Robert Evans. In 2021, they listed their Greenwich Village townhome for $18 million, having bought it for $11.8 million in 2016.

David Zaslav Net Worth

David Zaslav net worth is $400 million.