Pursuits
Viacom Is Stuck Waiting for the Redstone Brawl to End
- ‘Unusual’ to be working for a CEO battling to keep job
- The public nature of the power struggle ‘magnifies everything’
Philippe Dauman.
Photographer: Scott Eells/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Scattered applause broke out inside the Times Square headquarters of Viacom Inc. Downtown, in another office, cheers went up.
Many employees welcomed news last week that their chief executive officer, Philippe Dauman, might be losing the showdown with his boss, Sumner Redstone. Either that or they were just relieved the epic Viacom power struggle was finally approaching its denouement, with Redstone moving to kick Dauman off the board. Inside the giant media company, the months-long drama has unsettled staff and delayed deals, according to people who work there. Nearly every conversation in executive offices turns to the same question: What next?