Bari Weiss Seeks Over $200M to Sell The Free Press

Bari Weiss is seeking to sell her media startup, The Free Press, for a valuation between $200 million and $250 million, engaging in talks with Skydance Media CEO David Ellison, who is poised to acquire Paramount and CBS News pending regulatory approval. The Free Press, launched in 2022 on the Substack platform, has grown to 1.25 million subscribers, including 155,000 paid subscribers, and is known for its anti-woke stance and strong pro-Israel editorial perspective, which has attracted interest from Ellison. Weiss founded the outlet after departing the New York Times due to disagreements over its perceived woke culture, aiming to offer a voice positioned between mainstream media on the political spectrum. Investors such as venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and David Sacks helped fund the startup, which has seen its valuation rise from $100 million after a $15 million funding round last year. Ellison's interest in acquiring The Free Press aligns with his efforts to reshape his media assets, including cost-cutting measures at CBS, amid ongoing regulatory scrutiny of his merger with Paramount. Discussions have also included potential collaboration with News Corp, though no acquisition talks occurred with them.