Overview
- U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez‑Olguín signed off on the multistate antitrust settlement on Wednesday, removing the primary legal barrier to the roughly $110–111 billion transaction.
- Industry reporting says the combined company is expected to complete the deal in early October, with some outlets citing an October 8 target date.
- Critics led by actor Mark Ruffalo condemned the approval and urged state attorneys general not to relent, saying the merger will harm creativity, free speech and jobs.
- The deal is largely backstopped by the Ellisons with reported Oracle financing of more than $40 billion, a fact that has raised public concerns about outside influence on editorial choices.
- Analysts and local officials warn of concrete job risk from consolidation, with a June L.A. County report estimating about 2,495 jobs in Greater Los Angeles and roughly 6,000 globally could be affected by duplicate corporate roles.