Jeff Shell | |
|---|---|
 2013 portrait | |
| Born | 1965 (age 59–60) Michigan, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Media executive |
| Title | President,Paramount Skydance Corporation CEO,Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (2013–2019) CEO,NBCUniversal (2019–2023) |
| Spouse | Laura Shell |
| Relatives | Dana Shell Smith (sister) |
Jeff Shell is an American media executive who has served as president ofParamount Skydance Corporation since August 2025. He was the CEO forNBCUniversal, a subsidiary ofComcast, from 2019 to 2023.[1]
Shell is a graduate of theUniversity of California, Berkeley, where he studied economics and applied mathematics, andHarvard Business School, where he received an MBA.[2] He began his career atSalomon Brothers.[2]
In 2001, Shell was president of FOX Cable Network Group before joining Comcast in 2004, where he was president of Comcast Programming Group. In September 2013, Shell became the chairman ofUniversal Filmed Entertainment Group.[3] In 2019, it was announced that he would succeedSteve Burke as CEO ofNBCUniversal.[4] Shell assumed the role on January 1, 2020, and reported directly toComcast CEOBrian L. Roberts.[5]
In April 2008, Shell signed an open letter endorsing Barack Obama for thePennsylvania primary.[6] He was named by PresidentBarack Obama as chairman of theBroadcasting Board of Governors replacingSony Pictures executiveMichael Lynton.[7]
In May 2020,The New York Times reported that Shell was considering replacing CNBC's current primetime offerings of business reality shows with right-wing talk shows, in a bid to appeal to conservative viewers.[8]
On April 23, 2023, Shell was fired from NBCUniversal after an investigation into sexual harassment, which began when a female employee filed a complaint against him.[9] Shell had an extramarital affair with the employee from 2012 to 2021, who was subsequently identified as CNBC reporterHadley Gamble.[10]Variety reported that the law firmGibson Dunn was hired to conduct the investigation, and corroborated the complaint after reviewing records of Shell and Gamble's email communications. Shell was then dismissed withcause, and did not receive any severance pay.[10]
Allegedly, Shell held a meeting in October 2024 while presidential candidateDonald Trump was making claims that the CBS news program60 Minutes had "deceptively edited" an interview with presidential candidateKamala Harris to benefit his Democratic challenger.
Shell allegedly pressured the CBS News brass to release the60 Minutes transcript ahead of his company's merger with the network's parent Paramount Global, but CBS News presidentWendy McMahon and executive producerBill Owens pushed back, persuading Shell that folding under political pressure would be a bad move.
The case is currently before a mediator, who is facilitating discussions between both sides about a possible settlement. Staffers at the network have voiced their concerns over the matter, citing journalistic integrity, andFederal Communications Commission chiefBrendan Carr has opened a probe into the Harris edit and opened it up for public comment.[11]
On July 7, 2024, Paramount's board approved the deal to merge with Skydance.[12] The deal will close in two phases: first, a group of investors from Skydance will pay $2.4 billion in cash to purchase National Amusements, the parent company of Paramount Global; second, Paramount Global will pay its Class A and Class B stockholders $4.5 billion in cash and shares. In addition, Paramount will add $1.5 billion in primary capital to its balance sheet. The second phase will see an all-stock merger between Skydance Media and Paramount, valued at $4.75 billion. Equity holders in Skydance will get 317 million Class B shares, with a market value of $15 per share. Paramount Global would have 45 days to look for better or matching offers from other bidders before finalizing.[13][14] If Paramount were to find a better offer, Skydance would be entitled to a $400 million breakup fee payout from the company.[15]David Ellison would become chairman and CEO of the combined company with Shell as president.[16]
According to Paramount Global, the merger will inject significant capital into Paramount, helping to address its debt and enabling investments in new content and technologies.[17] It will support Paramount Global's expansion into other entertainment industries, such as animation, sports and video games, where it currently has less presence. Ellison's vision is for the new company "to be both a media and technology enterprise".[18] Skydance will benefit from greater resources and infrastructure, allowing it to produce more large-scale content. Additionally, Skydance will gain from Paramount's brands, intellectual property, and distribution network.[19]
Shell is married to Laura Fay Shell, who worked for Los Angeles County SupervisorZev Yaroslavsky as his planning deputy until 2005.[7] His sister isDana Shell Smith,[20] and his brother is Dan Shell ofIMG College.[21]
In 2015, he was awarded the Dorothy and Sherrill C. Corwin Human Relations Award by theAmerican Jewish Committee.[20] Shell is a 2010 inductee into theSouthern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[22]
In January 2019, Shell, along withCindy Crawford, her husbandRande Gerber,Michael Meldman, andJay Sures, announced they would purchase the Beverly Hills deli,Nate 'n Al, to keep its doors open after three generations of family ownership.[23][24]
Burke, 61, has not indicated what his next move may be.
AJC, an advocacy organization focusing on Israel and domestic issues, awarded Jeff Shell, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman, the Dorothy and Sherrill C. Corwin Human Relations Award — the highest honor AJC bestows upon members of the entertainment industry.
| Business positions | ||
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| Preceded by | CEO ofNBCUniversal 2020-2023 | Succeeded by |