David Zaslav's tenure as CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has been widely criticized by industry insiders and shareholders following the company's merger and subsequent spin-off. Several executives have described the merger as a failure that never had a viable chance and have condemned the company's management under Zaslav. Despite WBD's decline and loss of shareholder value, Zaslav has personally benefited, receiving nearly $400 million in compensation and stock options over the past three years. Analysts note that Zaslav's strategy has primarily focused on managing the company's decline to maintain profitability rather than creating new value. The spin-off of WBD has sparked discussions about the company's future and its position in the competitive streaming market, with comparisons drawn to other major players like Fox and Amazon.