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You might’ve forgotten about the time these 15 unexpected celebrities won Academy Awards

March 15, 2026

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

Updated

2026-03-15T13:16:01.246Z

On Sunday, Hollywood stars will gather at the Dolby Theatre to celebrate the Oscars.
While some names feel synonymous with Oscars’ history, others have been forgotten over time.
Eminem won the Oscar for best original song in 2003 for “Lose Yourself.”

On Sunday, March 15, Hollywood’s elites will descend upon the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the biggest night in film: the Oscars.

The prestigious awards show has become somewhat synonymous with multi-time winners and repeat nominees like Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, and Steven Spielberg, but there are plenty of recipients whose wins you may not remember.

Take Eminem, for example. The 15-time Grammy-winning rapper wasn’t even in attendance when he won the Oscar for best original song in 2003 for “Lose Yourself.”

“Back then, I never even thought that I had a chance to win,” he told Variety after his surprise Oscars performance in 2020.

“And also, back at that time, the younger me didn’t really feel like a show like that would understand me. But then when I found out I won, ‘That’s crazy!’ That to me shows how authentic and real that award is — when you don’t show up and you still win,” he added.

So, ahead of this year’s ceremony, here’s a look back at surprising wins in Oscars history you may have forgotten about.

Jim Rash

Jim Rash won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay in 2012.

John Shearer/Staff/WireImage/Getty Images

Award won: Best adapted screenplay

For: “The Descendants”

Year: 2012

Jim Rash may be best known for playing Dean in “Community,” but he’s a writer, too.

Rash put his skills to good use for “The Descendants,” a dramedy starring George Clooney and Shailene Woodley. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture, best actor, and best adapted screenplay, which Rash took home alongside cowriters Nat Faxon and Alexander Payne.

Peter Capaldi

Award won: Best live action short film

For: “Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life”

Year: 1995

Capaldi is internationally known for playing the Doctor in “Doctor Who,” but fans might not realize he won an Oscar nearly two decades before taking on the role.

Capaldi won the award for best live action short film alongside Ruth Kenley-Letts for “Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life.” Their film actually tied for the award with Peggy Rajski and Randy Stone’s “Trevor.”

Stevie Wonder

Award won: Best original song

For: “I Just Called to Say I Love You” from “The Woman in Red”

Year: 1985

In comparison to his 25 Grammy wins, it’s easy to see how Stevie Wonder’s Oscar win in 1985 could fly under the radar. The song itself was a massive hit upon its release in 1984, selling millions of copies.

Three 6 Mafia

Award won: Best original song

For: “It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp” from “Hustle & Flow”

Year: 2006

Three years after Eminem’s win, Three 6 Mafia became the first hip-hop group to take home the Oscar for best original song for “It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp” from “Hustle & Flow.”

Eminem

Award won: Best original song

For: “Lose Yourself” from “8 Mile”

Year: 2003

In 2003, Eminem became the first rapper to win the Oscar for best original song with “Lose Yourself” from Curtis Hanson’s drama “8 Mile,” which he also starred in. Though he wasn’t present to accept the award back then, he gave a surprise performance of the song 17 years later, at the Oscars ceremony in 2020.

Anna Paquin

Award won: Best supporting actress

For: “The Piano”

Year: 1994

Paquin’s acting career started off with a bang, winning best supporting actress for her debut film, “The Piano,” at just 11 years old.

Since then, she’s appeared in the “X-Men” trilogy, “True Blood,” and Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” but hasn’t received another Oscar nomination.

Mo’Nique

Award won: Best supporting actress

For: “Precious”

Year: 2010

Though Mo’Nique may be best known for her comedy, she had a standout role as abusive mother Mary Jones in Lee Daniels’ “Precious” and took home the award for best supporting actress.

However, five years after her win, Mo’Nique told The Hollywood Reporter that Daniels told her she was “blackballed” because she “didn’t play the game.”

Mo’Nique famously did not campaign for her award, and in the opening line of her acceptance speech said, “First, I would like to thank the Academy for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics.”

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Daniels said, “Her demands through ‘Precious’ were not always in line with the campaign. This soured her relationship with the Hollywood community.”

Mo’Nique and Daniels reconciled in 2022, and she starred in his 2024 horror film, “The Deliverance.”

Lionel Richie

Award won: Best original song

For: “Say You, Say Me” from “White Nights”

Year: 1986

Richie has won one Oscar from three nominations for best original song. His win came in 1986 for “Say You, Say Me” from “White Nights,” starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines.

Mira Sorvino

Award won: Best supporting actress

For: “Mighty Aphrodite”

Year: 1996

Before she starred as the iconic Romy White in “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion,” Sorvino was recognized by the Academy for her role as Linda Ash in Woody Allen’s “Mighty Aphrodite.”

Since then, she’s appeared in other films and television projects, including “Norma Jean & Marilyn,” “Human Trafficking,” and, more recently, “Sound of Freedom.”

In 2017, Sorvino was one of more than a dozen women to speak out against producer Harvey Weinstein in an article published by The New Yorker. She told the publication that she felt her career was hurt after rejecting Weinstein’s advances and reporting the harassment she faced.

“There may have been other factors, but I definitely felt iced out and that my rejection of Harvey had something to do with it,” Sorvino said.

In a statement in 2017, Weinstein denied he’d been involved in blacklisting Sorvino.

Weinstein was convicted of third-degree rape of one woman and of first-degree criminal sex act against another in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison. His conviction was overturned in April 2024, and he was indicted on new charges in September; his retrial is set to begin in April.

Al Gore

Award won: Best documentary feature

For: “An Inconvenient Truth”

Year: 2007

OK, technically, the award for best documentary feature was given to director Davis Guggenheim, but former vice president and 2000 presidential nominee Al Gore was its subject, highlighting his educational presentation about the dangers of global warming.

He even took to the stage with Guggenheim after its win, telling the crowd, “My fellow Americans, people all over the world, we need to solve the climate crisis. It’s not a political issue; it’s a moral issue. We have everything we need to get started, with the possible exception of the will to act. That’s a renewable resource. Let’s renew it.”

Fisher Stevens

Award won: Best documentary feature

For: “The Cove”

Year: 2010

The “Short Circuit” and “Succession” actor won the best documentary feature award in 2010 after producing “The Cove,” which detailed the dolphin-hunting industry in Japan and called for a change in Japanese fishing practices.

That same year, Stevens cofounded Insurgent Media, a documentary film company.

Kobe Bryant

Award won: Best animated short film

For: “Dear Basketball”

Year: 2018

The basketball legend made history when he took home an Oscar in 2018, becoming the first former professional athlete to do so.

Bryant narrated the animated short, which features a 2015 letter he wrote for The Players’ Tribune announcing his retirement.

The short was directed and animated by Glen Keane, who had previously worked on Disney animated classics such as “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Aladdin.” John Williams, the 54-time Academy Award nominee behind the scores for films like “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” and “Jurassic Park,” created the score.

Bryant’s emotional acceptance speech ended with the athlete thanking his wife, Vanessa, and daughters, Natalia, Gianna, and Bianka, telling them, “ti amo con tutto il mio cuore,” which means “I love you with all my heart” in Italian.

Sam Smith

Award won: Best original song

For: “Writing’s on the Wall” from “Spectre”

Year: 2016

Alongside cowriter Jimmy Napes, the British singer-songwriter won the award for best original song for their 2015 Bond theme for “Spectre.”

In their acceptance speech, Smith talked about being the “first openly gay man to win an Oscar,” which they weren’t. Smith apologized, but the comments sparked backlash from the LGBTQ+ community, and the singer, who acknowledged the mistake, temporarily quit X (formerly Twitter).

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor pose in the press room during the 83rd Annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre on February 27, 2011 in Hollywood, California. — The Nine Inch Nails collaborators have won two Oscars for film scores.

Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage

Awards won: Best original score

For: “The Social Network,” “Soul”

Years: 2011, 2021

Outside their work with Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have been frequent collaborators on film scores, beginning in 2010 with their soundtrack for David Fincher’s “The Social Network.”

The duo won the best original score award for the movie in 2011. They won again in 2021 for their score of Disney’s “Soul,” which also features jazz tracks by Jon Batiste.

Bruce Springsteen

Award won: Best original song

For: “Streets of Philadelphia” from “Philadelphia”

Year: 1994

Bruce Springsteen won big in 1994 for his song “Streets of Philadelphia” from the drama film “Philadelphia.” The song, which won the song of the year award at the Grammy Awards, also earned him an Academy Award for best original song.

He was nominated again in 1996 for “Dead Man Walkin'” from the movie with the same name, but lost.

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From NFL team owners to computer-science researchers: Meet the 12 billionaires who have won Oscars

March 14, 2026

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

Updated

2026-03-14T13:42:01.230Z

These 12 billionaires are also Oscar winners.
Some are the famous filmmakers behind some of the most commercially successful movie franchises.
Others are billionaires who have accumulated their wealth through other avenues.

When thinking about Oscar winners, NFL team owners and computer-science researchers might not immediately come to mind.

But some of these icons of their industries have joined other, more famously creative billionaires to accept Hollywood’s highest honors.

Out of the hundreds of Academy Award winners each year, only a tiny minority have net worths comparable to those of tech and industry leaders who define the ultrawealthy class.

The “Avatar” and “Titanic” director James Cameron recently became the newest member of the exclusive club, with Forbes reporting that the filmmaker surpassed the $1 billion net worth mark in December.

Cameron, whose films have earned an estimated $9 billion at the box office, is joining the minds behind some of the biggest box-office hits, including director Steven Spielberg, “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, and “Lord of the Rings” creator Peter Jackson.

In February, Forbes also crowned Spielberg, who has a net worth of $7.1 billion, as the world’s wealthiest celebrity in 2026.

As you start getting ready for your Oscars’ watch party, see which 12 billionaires have won Academy Awards, and see the movies, documentaries, and short films they’ve worked on as directors, producers, writers, executive producers, or in other capacities.

We’ve ranked them on their estimated net worths, as reported by Forbes as of March 12.

Steven Rales

Rales has worked closely as a producer in Wes Anderson films since 2006.

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Estimated net worth: $7.8 billion

Rales, the chairman and cofounder of medical manufacturer Danaher, founded the film production company Indian Paintbrush in 2006 and has worked closely with director Wes Anderson ever since.

Rales also owns film distributors Janus Films and The Criterion Collection and has a 20% in the NBA Indiana Pacers.

He won the best live-action short film award in 2024 with Anderson’s “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” which he produced.

Jeffrey Lurie

Estimated net worth: $7.6 billion

The Boston businessman purchased the Philadelphia Eagles for $185 million in 1994 and has won two Super Bowls since. But Lurie has a background in film, and has produced and executive-produced more than a dozen movies.

His grandfather founded the General Cinema movie-theater chain, which operated 1,500 screens at its peak in 1991 before it was acquired by AMC in the early 2000s.

Lurie has won three Oscars for best documentary as executive producer of “Inside Job” in 2011, “Inocente” in 2013, and “Summer of Soul” in 2022.

Steven Spielberg

Estimated net worth: $7.1 billion

The film director and producer has worked on some of the most successful films of the past 30 years, including “Jurassic Park,” “Jaws,” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”

He’s regarded as the most commercially successful film director of all time and a pioneer of the modern blockbuster, with his films amassing a box-office total of over $10.7 billion over 37 films, as reported by The Numbers.

He won the Oscar for best director in 1999 with “Saving Private Ryan” and in 1994 with “Schindler’s List,” which also won best picture that year.

In February, he also achieved EGOT status when he took home a Grammy for best music film for “Music by John Williams,” which he produced.

Jeff Skoll

Estimated net worth: $5.3 billion

Skoll, who was eBay’s first president from 1996 to 1998, founded film production company Participant Media in 2004 to create films that increased awareness of social issues.

He won best picture as executive producer of “Spotlight” in 2016 and “Green Book” in 2019.

In total, Participant Media won 21 Academy Awards over 86 nominations, including best international film for “Roma.” The company shuttered in 2024.

George Lucas

Estimated net worth: $5.1 billion

The creator of the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises founded the film production company Lucasfilm in 1971 and sold it to Disney for $4 billion in 2012.

In 1992, he won the Oscars’ Irving G. Thalberg Award, which awards “creative producers whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production.” He was also nominated for best director and best original screenplay for “American Graffiti” and “Star Wars” in 1973 and 1977, respectively.

Oprah Winfrey

Estimated net worth: $3.2 billion

The TV host and media mogul has often been regarded as the most powerful woman in media and was once the world’s only Black billionaire.

She won the Oscars’ Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which recognizes “outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes” in 2011. She was also nominated for best supporting actress in 1985 for “The Color Purple.”

Steve Tisch

The New York Giants co-owner (right) has produced over 40 films, including “Forrest Gump.”

Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Estimated net worth: $2.2 billion

The chairman, co-owner, and executive vice president of the New York Giants has produced over 40 films and has worked closely with Columbia and Sony Pictures.

He won the Oscar for best picture in 1995 with “Forrest Gump.”

Peter Jackson

Estimated net worth: $1.9 billion, per Forbes

The “Lord of The Rings” and “Hobbit” filmmaker has written, directed, and worked on over 20 films and is the fifth highest-grossing director of all time, with his films surpassing $6.5 billion at the box office, per The Numbers rankings.

In 2004, he won Oscars for best director, best adapted screenplay, and best picture for “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

Pat Hanrahan

Estimated net worth: $1.6 billion

The computer graphics researcher, founding Pixar Animation Studio employee, and computer-science and electrical-engineering professor at Stanford University has worked on groundbreaking animation software that led to films like “Toy Story.”

He won a scientific and engineering Academy Award in 1993 and two technical achievement Oscars in 2004 and 2014.

Richard Anthony Wolf

Dick Wolf attends Variety Power of Law presented by City National Bank. — The “Law & Order” producer won best short film as a producer for “Twin Towers” in 2003.

Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty Images

Estimated net worth: $1.5 billion

The film producer, best known for creating the “Law & Order” franchise, founded Wolf Entertainment in 1988. It has become one of the most prolific companies in the television business.

He won the Academy Award for best short film as a producer with “Twin Towers” in 2003.

Tyler Perry

Estimated net worth: $1.4 billion

The filmmaker and playwright created the Madea character in 1999 and founded his own production company, Tyler Perry Studios, in 2006. In 2019, he unveiled the new 330-acre studio grounds in Atlanta. His films have made over $765 million at the box office.

He received the Oscars’ Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2021.

James Cameron

Estimated net worth: $1.1 billion

The director of “The Terminator,” “Titanic,” and “Avatar,” has directed three of the top five highest-grossing movies of all time, as listed by Box Office Mojo. Despite having directed only 10 feature films, Cameron is the second-highest-grossing director of all time.

He won the Academy Award for best director and best picture with “Titanic” in 1998.

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I’ve lived in and visited so many of America’s biggest cities, but these 6 small towns have really won me over

March 4, 2026

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

I remember arriving in Leavenworth, a town of about 3,000 people, and immediately feeling like we had stepped into an entirely new country, despite being just a short three-hour day trip from Seattle.

The drive itself revealed just how varied Washington’s landscape can be, moving from familiar surroundings into farmland and alpine scenery.

Despite visiting in early April, right before wildflower season, the setting still felt storybook-like, with open fields nearby and snow-capped peaks in the distance.

Downtown Leavenworth leaned fully into its Bavarian theme, from German restaurants and beer gardens to a quirky nutcracker museum. Even the exteriors of everyday places, such as grocery stores and coffee shops, matched the town’s aesthetic, completing the immersion.

We stayed at Abendblume Inn, a small bed-and-breakfast with a distinctly European feel that overlooks the Cascade Mountains. It famously serves up breakfast aebleskiver, Danish pancake puffs often dusted with powdered sugar or served with jam, to make the Euro experience feel complete.

Perhaps my favorite find was the local reindeer farm, where we could pet and feed the animals. Although Leavenworth is known for its Christmas festivities, visiting out of season revealed a quieter version of the town that felt just as intentional.

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China-focused hedge funds surged in 2025. Here’s who won big.

January 18, 2026

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

At the start of 2025, alarms were blaring about the risk of investing in China.

A new protectionist administration was taking over in the US at the same time China’s domestic real estate market was teetering. A possible US ban on TikTok, the popular social media app, imperiled ByteDance, one of the country’s biggest tech companies. American companies seemed to have surged ahead of Chinese rivals in artificial intelligence development.

Twelve months later, and many of the biggest fears appear to be overblown. The Chinese government has focused on stimulating the economy, leading public companies to significantly increase their buybacks. ByteDance sold a majority stake in its US TikTok operations and is now more valuable than ever, with HSG, the venture capital firm formerly known as Sequoia China, valuing the company at between $350 billion and $370 billion recently. And China’s AI scene, led by startup DeepSeek, is keeping pace with Western peers, and Nvidia will be permitted to sell its powerful H200 chips to Chinese companies, the US government said Tuesday.

Hedge funds willing to invest in the country last year were rewarded. Bridgewater, which manages $92 billion across all its strategies, generated a 34.2% return in its China Total Returns fund, a person close to the manager told Business Insider. Tekne Capital, managed by Beeneet Kothari, a onetime lieutenant of billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller, was up more than 50% last year, a person close to the manager said.

Kothari’s $1.5 billion firm is an investor in Chinese companies such as DiDi Global, recruiting firm Kanzhun, and data-center builder GDS, the person said. Kothari told Business Insider in an interview last year that the headwinds facing the country made strong companies very cheap.

According to HSBC’s Hedge Weekly report, funds based in China and investing in the country performed well. $3.4 billion Pinpoint’s China-focused strategy returned more than 24%, while its multistrategy offering, which invests across Asia, was up 11.6%. George Jiang’s long-running Golden China fund made close to 33%, and Epimelis Capital, run by Hutchin Hill and Goldman Sachs veteran Fei Sun, made 35% in its China-centric strategy.

The average China-focused fund was up close to 18%, according to Hedge Fund Research, outpacing the industry average of 10.7%.

Going into 2026, investors will be watching how the volatile relationship between the US and China evolves, especially around trade agreements connected to chips, as well as any indication that China might invade Taiwan.

ByteDance will also be a focus for funds — Tiger Global and Coatue are both backers — as the social media giant continues to grow.

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I won $28 million in the Powerball when I was 21. One choice saved me from becoming a broke lottery winner.

December 23, 2025

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

The holiday season may have most of us ready to slow down, but the stakes for Wednesday night’s Powerball are just heating up. The top prize for Wednesday night’s drawing is estimated to be $1.7 billion, making it the sixth-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

If there is a winner on Wednesday, it could feel like a Christmas miracle, but former Powerball winner, Timothy Shultz, said there’s also a slim chance of going broke within a few years, despite amassing that amount of wealth.

Schultz won $28 million in 1999 while working at a gas station and retired a multimillionaire by the age of 21. In an effort not to become one of the unfortunate winners who eventually lose it all, he put a specific plan in place.

Consulting wealth professionals is the first step Schultz took after winning the Powerball

“Suddenly, I’d gone from a gas station attendant to retired at 21,” Shultz told Business Insider in a 2024 interview. “I felt like I was holding a magic wand. Everything was possible, but I also wanted to be financially responsible.”

He said, “At 21, I had no idea what to do with that kind of money and was lucky I sought professional guidance. I didn’t want to become a statistic of lottery winners going broke within a few years.”

Before turning in the ticket, he said he consulted with wealth professionals to understand how much he could afford to spend and give to others. “I helped many people, but also wanted to live within my means.”

Investing the money helped him maintain his wealth

Before he received any of the money, he established a plan with advisors to invest it conservatively, ensuring the returns could last him a lifetime. “I mostly invested in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds,” he said.

Emily Irwin, a Wells Fargo advisor who guides lottery winners on how to spend their money, told Business Insider in a 2023 interview that this is exactly what winners should do.

She also advised assembling a team of financial planners as soon as possible and that, “You must carefully consider experts specializing in high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth tax planning.” Irwin also said winners should interview several candidates, as these advisors will most likely be in their lives for years.

Other ways the 1999 Powerball winner spent his money

The first thing Shultz purchased with the money was the latest video game system. A luxury, he said, he “couldn’t afford before winning.” The next thing he did was set up his investments.

After establishing his investments, Schultz said he helped his family, bought vehicles, and traveled. He even went back to college to study film and broadcast journalism, a dream come true for him

But after winning, and still being surrounded by other struggling college students, Shultz felt pressure to pay for friends’ vacations, meals, or anything they did together.

He said, “When you win the lottery, people don’t view the money as something you’ve earned. A family member explicitly told me I got something for nothing by winning the lottery and should keep giving them and others money.”

Despite his successful investments, he still has one regret

These days, Schultz said he spends most of his free time exercising and working on his podcast and YouTube channel, “Lottery, Dreams, and Fortune,” which highlights the story of other lottery winners. “YouTube brings in some money, but I can live off my investments,” he said.

Despite making great investment choices, Schultz still regrets overlooking one specific investment.”I wish I had invested in bitcoin a few years ago, but that’s my only regret about how I’ve spent the winnings,” he said.

Still, Shultz’s initial decision to seek professional financial help set him up for years of success.

Correction: December 23, 2025 —An earlier version of this story misstated the details of the next Powerball drawing. It is for $1.7 billion on Wednesday night.

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Paramount wanted to use $24 billion in Middle Eastern money to help buy WBD. That’s not why Netflix won.

December 17, 2025

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

Larry and David Ellison, who own Paramount, want to use $24 billion in Middle Eastern money to finance their bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. Is that a problem for WBD?

You might think so — especially since $10 billion of that came from the Saudi government. That’s the same government that US intelligence said killed a Washington Post journalist in 2018. The kind of partner you might think a major American media conglomerate would want to keep at arm’s length.

But that’s not a problem WBD raises in its newest communication to shareholders, where it urges them to take the deal offered by Netflix instead.

What actually worries WBD about the Ellisons’ bid isn’t the Ellisons’ particular partners. It’s that the Ellisons had partners.

In a regulatory filing that tells the backstory of the proposed WBD sale, WBD execs and their reps repeatedly told the Ellisons they wanted a firm commitment that Larry Ellison — currently the world’s 5th-richest man, with an estimated net worth of $243 billion — would guarantee the deal himself.

Instead, WBD argues, the Ellisons never gave them the assurances they wanted.

The filing does bring up the fact that money from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds would likely complicate regulatory issues for a proposed Ellison/Paramount deal. (Ditto for a proposed $1 billion investment from China’s Tencent, which the Ellisons later took out of their proposal.) But those are presented as technical hurdles. Not moral or patriotic dealbreakers.

And they’re just part of a laundry list of complaints WBD makes about the Ellisons. Among them: A December 2 tweet from New York Post reporter Charlie Gasparino, which WBD said violated a confidentiality agreement Paramount had signed.

And when it comes to the main pitch WBD is making to investors, all of that stuff disappears. It just boils down to “we did our homework, and the Netflix deal is better.”

That’s not shocking: If you’re a WBD investor, you are (supposedly) only interested in getting the maximum value for shares. And WBD’s filing argues that Netflix is the one that can pay the most.

Now we’re waiting to see what the Ellisons do next: Many observers believe they’ll return with yet another, higher bid. Will this one have Gulf money, too?

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Another South Korean shipbuilder just won a US Navy maintenance job as the country’s yards scoop up more American work

December 15, 2025

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

South Korean shipyards are steadily becoming an integral part of US Navy maintenance work. Following in the footsteps of some of the nation’s shipbuilding giants, another local shipbuilder just secured a new contract.

HJ Shipbuilding and Construction announced on Monday that it won a deal to service a US Navy vessel — the Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Amelia Earhart — as Washington increasingly turns to South Korea’s impressive commercial shipbuilding sector to support strained American yards and keep the fleet afloat.

The maintenance contract is with the Navy’s Naval Supply System Command and Military Sealift Command.

The work on the Amelia Earhart — which will include an inspection of the ship’s hull and systems, follow-up repairs and replacements, and a paint job — will begin in January 2026 at the Yeongdo Shipyard in Busan. The vessel will be delivered to the Navy by the end of March.

The Amelia Earhart is one of the Navy’s supply ships that refuels and resupplies aircraft carriers and warships at sea. Its overhaul adds to a growing list of US Navy work going to South Korean companies.

South Korea is investing billions in US shipbuilding initiatives, including upgrades to shipyards and equipment.

Official US Navy photo

Major South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean finished repairs on the USNS Wally Schirra, another Lewis and Clark-class vessel, in March, marking a first for a South Korean shipyard. And then HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, one of the country’s largest shipbuilders, received a maintenance contract for another ship in the class, the USNS Alan Shepard.

HJ Shipbuilding and Construction said it’s the first midsize shipbuilder in South Korea to win a maintenance contract with the US Navy.

While smaller voyage repairs to US Navy ships occur regularly at allied yards, the continued contract wins for South Korean shipyards highlight the growing shipbuilding collaboration between Washington and Seoul.

That partnership, which has included business deals for South Korean companies abroad as well as investments in American yards, is part of a broader willingness by the Trump administration to rely on its Pacific ally amid efforts to fix US shipbuilding issues.

Billions of dollars are being put into modernizing US shipyards and addressing workforce and training issues as South Korea’s government calls its investments a plan to “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again.” The US is also turning to Japan, another large shipbuilder, for assistance.

South Korea and Japan are the second and third largest shipbuilders in the world, respectively, and Navy leadership is increasingly recognizing their value in this sector. China, however, dominates the shipbuilding industry, relying heavily on its dual-use yards, workforce, and equipment to make military and commercial vessels at a rapid pace.

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Read the memo Warner Bros. Discovery sent employees after Netflix won the bidding war for its key assets

December 5, 2025

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

2025-12-05T13:28:51.746Z

Netflix agreed to purchase Warner Bros. in a $72 billion deal.
Netflix will buy HBO Max and the Warner Bros. studio, but not WBD’s TV networks like CNN and TNT.
Here is the memo Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav sent to employees.

Netflix is buying Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming businesses in a seismic $72 billion deal that promises to shake up Hollywood.

The Netflix-WBD tie-up, which the companies announced on Friday morning, would be the industry’s largest since Disney bought 21st Century Fox for $71 billion in 2019. Netflix is planning to buy HBO Max and the top-performing Warner Bros. studio, but not WBD’s TV networks like CNN, TNT, and TBS.

Netflix must first secure regulatory approval from the US and foreign governments, which some media analysts say could be a challenge. If all goes as planned, the deal is set to close in 12 to 18 months, the companies said.

Netflix beat out Paramount Skydance and Comcast in a bidding war.

Since Netflix is only buying the Warner Bros. studio and HBO Max, the remaining TV assets that are seen as less valuable will be spun out, as WBD originally planned. WBD was formed in April 2022 after a merger between AT&T’s WarnerMedia and Discovery.

“In the coming days, we will establish an Integration Office, which will coordinate all planning with Netflix, consistent with regulatory requirements,” WBD CEO David Zaslav wrote in a note to employees on Friday. “Until the transaction closes, WBD and Netflix remain separate companies. It may be tempting to reach out directly to counterparts or former colleagues at Netflix, but it is essential that all interactions are managed through this office to ensure we meet every legal and regulatory obligation.”

Here’s the full memo that Zaslav sent employees on Friday morning:

This communication has been sent to everyone at WBD.

Team,

The Board of Directors of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) approved a transaction under which Warner Bros. will be acquired by Netflix, subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions, including the completion of the separation of Discovery Global from WBD.

As part of the structure, the Global Networks business will form a new standalone company, Discovery Global, with Gunnar Wiedenfels to serve as CEO once the new company separates from WBD, now expected to be completed in Q3 2026.

This decision reflects the realities of an industry undergoing generational change – in how stories are financed, produced, distributed, and discovered – and recognizes the strong, transformed company we are today, the significant value we have created, and the resilience and attractiveness that now position us in a rapidly evolving marketplace. Over the past several months, the Board evaluated a full set of strategic paths. Their conclusion is that this structure – Warner Bros. joining Netflix, and Discovery Global becoming a focused standalone company – provides the strongest long-term foundation for both sets of businesses.

As outlined in the announcement, the proposed combination of Warner Bros. and Netflix reflects complementary strengths, more choice and value for consumers, a stronger entertainment industry, increased opportunity for creative talent, and long-term value creation for shareholders.

I know this announcement creates many questions about what’s next. For some, it brings clarity about direction. For others, it raises questions about what this means for their teams and their work. All of those reactions are understandable. A transaction of this nature naturally creates uncertainty, and not all answers will be available immediately. Some will be clarified in the coming days and weeks; others depend on regulatory processes and on work that cannot begin until separation or closing.

People across WBD have navigated extraordinary change over the last three years, while building a company with real creative, journalistic, and commercial strength. That deserves to be acknowledged plainly.

What we can say now, based on the direction set out today, is that this structure provides a clearer path forward for Warner Bros. within Netflix, and for Discovery Global as a standalone company. For both, the goal is to position their creative work, talent, and brands to navigate a market that is constantly evolving and increasingly global.

What happens now

Later today, we will hold a Global Town Hall to walk through what we know and what is still to be determined. Calendar invites will follow shortly after this email.

Business Unit leaders will hold discussions specific to their areas in the coming days, so you can hear directly from your leader.

Managers will also come together early next week so they have the context and support they need to guide their teams through the early stages of this transition.

What happens next

The path toward a separation of WBD into Warner Bros. and Discovery Global will shift. We will redirect work tied to the earlier, planned two-company operating model and focus instead on the steps required to enable this transaction.

In the coming days, we will establish an Integration Office, which will coordinate all planning with Netflix, consistent with regulatory requirements. Until the transaction closes, WBD and Netflix remain separate companies. It may be tempting to reach out directly to counterparts or former colleagues at Netflix, but it is essential that all interactions are managed through this office to ensure we meet every legal and regulatory obligation.

What this means for you

We also recognize that many people are looking for more clarity about what to focus on, how to prioritize work, and what this means for their teams. Those details will become clearer over the next several weeks, as we move toward our 2026 goal-setting and operating plan alignment processes.

As part of that, you will hear guidance from your Business Unit and functional leaders early in the new year, with expectations and priorities anchored to what we know at that point in the regulatory process.

In the meantime, please continue to focus on the work needed to wrap up 2025, support year-end deliverables, and take the opportunity to rest and recharge over the holidays.

We will continue to communicate regularly, and new information will be shared in One Insider and on the One website. And we will see you later today at the Global Town Hall.

As we move through this next chapter, our aim is simple: handle decisions with care, communicate clearly about what we know, and make sure people have the information and support they need at each step.

I know moments like this carry weight. And they can also mark the beginning of new possibilities. The work you bring to this company – and the way you have shown up for one another – has built something that others clearly see value in. That matters. And while I cannot predict every step ahead, I am confident in the strength of our brands, in the talent of our teams, and in the stories, journalism, and experiences we will continue to bring to audiences around the world.

David

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