Vice Media is likely to be sold to a group of buyers that includes Soros Fund Management, one of the enterprises of left-wing billionaire George Soros, according to a new report.
Fortress Investment Group, a senior lender with Vice, also would be in on the deal, which first would involve Vice filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection followed by a sale, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal on Friday.
The Journal estimated the deal to be worth about $400 million, but a report in The Guardian suggested the final valuation on Vice could be between $300 million and $350 million.
In writing about the Soros connection, the Washington Free Beacon noted it would “boost the billionaire’s already enormous influence in left-wing politics and media.” The Wall Street Journal reported that Vice stockholders — including private-equity firm TPG Group, Sixth Street Partners and media mogul James Murdoch — would be “wiped out under the proposed reorganization.” The New York Times noted that at its peak, Vice was valued at $5.7 billion.Crypt-keeper…George Soros…strikes again…by acquiring propaganda outlet…Vice Media. pic.twitter.com/d5jM15NIqe
— Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill9) May 5, 2023
If the sale takes place as the Journal expects, Vice co-founder Shane Smith would have a role in the company and senior management would be retained. Vice has been seeking a buyer for almost a year, the Journal reported. A deal to buy Vice earlier this year fell through. Vice told employees it planned to close Vice World News, a global reporting project, according to the Times. The Journal noted that Vice was expected to be a leader in the new-media boom but said digital media has had difficult days of late, citing BuzzFeed’s decision to close its news division, plus job cuts at Vox.BREAKING: Bankrupt Vice Media to be acquired by Soros and Fortress investment groups.
Consider this another Democrat Super PAC acquisition. https://t.co/45AUVRNAHp — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) May 5, 2023
The Journal report indicated that Vice suffered a major blow when Greece’s Antenna Group ended its multimillion-dollar contract to purchase content from Vice. After that, Fortress came around to the view that it would be more advantageous to go the bankruptcy route instead of hoping a buyer would emerge, the Journal reported. This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.Vice Media was unable to generate a profit spreading far-left misinformation and hate so they went bankrupt. George Soros and his ilk depend on outlets like Vice in their effort to undermine democracy – so he’s buying company out of bankruptcy. https://t.co/NcT1GC9YEU
— @amuse (@amuse) May 5, 2023