Music giant Universal gets $64bn takeover offer
The music giant behind acts such as Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter gets an offer from Bill Ackman's Pershing Square.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"Its management had 'done an excellent job nurturing and continuing to build a world-class artist roster and generating strong business performance'."
— Bill Ackman , Executive
"Universal had 'dramatically underperformed' in several key US and world stock indexes."
— Bill Ackman , Executive
"On paper, you might think is a money-making machine. In reality, it's not that simple."
— Dan Coatsworth , Other
"Universal 'is home to nine of the top 10 global recording artists of 2025'."
— Dan Coatsworth , Other
Key People
Bill Ackman is the billionaire chief executive of Pershing Square.
Dan Coatsworth is the head of markets at AJ Bell.
Former president of the United States known for his aggressive economic policies.
Vincent Bolloré is the billionaire owner of Bolloré Group.
Locations
Tags
All Coverage
The music giant behind acts such as Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter gets an offer from Bill Ackman's Pershing Square.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Paramount takes over Warner Bros in $110bn Hollywood merger
The merger of two of Hollywood's biggest movie studios comes after months of legal disputes and concern over competition.
October 6, 2026 at 12:59 PMWhat the Paramount and Warner Bros deal means for you
The BBC's Samira Hussain explains the impact the $110bn merger will have on consumers of both entertainment giants.
October 6, 2026 at 09:27 PMParamount wraps up mega Warner Bros merger to create Hollywood powerhouse Skydance - Reuters
Paramount wraps up mega Warner Bros merger to create Hollywood powerhouse Skydance Reuters
October 6, 2026 at 01:04 PMUK pharmacy chain Boots sold in $8.9bn deal to Canadian billionaire family
The sale of the High Street chain was announced on Wednesday.
October 7, 2026 at 05:18 PMBecton Dickinson pledges $19 billion US investment in deal with government - Reuters
Becton Dickinson pledges $19 billion US investment in deal with government Reuters
October 6, 2026 at 03:06 PMCanada's Weston family to buy UK's Boots in $8.9 billion deal - Reuters
Canada's Weston family to buy UK's Boots in $8.9 billion deal Reuters
October 7, 2026 at 04:53 PM