Shari Redstone

After years of conflict with former CBS chief Les Moonves, his loyal board of directors, and her own father, Redstone pulled off a stunning coup that now has her positioned as chair atop a $30 billion media empire formed by the reunification of CBS and Viacom. With the merger expected to close by the end of the year, ViacomCBS will boast a library of 3,600 film titles and 140,000 TV episodes and has control over well-known brands such as Paramount, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and MTV. The move gives ViacomCBS a chance to compete against the likes of Disney, NBCUniversal, and WarnerMedia, all while establishing Redstone as the most powerful woman in U.S. media.

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