None-too-cozy moguls
Viacom ‘face-off’ could chill Valley
Apotential
meeting of bitter foes Shari Red
stone and Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman might send a chill throughout this tony resort town, but it didn’t seem to affect CBS boss Les Moonves on Tuesday night.
Moonves arrived at the annual Allen & Co. mogulfest here and promptly drove Shari off to dinner in a rented Buick.
Don’t expect to see such a friendly meeting should Dauman and Redstone cross paths.
Dauman has accused Redstone in three different courts of unduly influencing her father, Sumner Red
stone, in an effort to oust Dauman from his job and take control of her dad’s $40 billion media empire — which includes Moonves’ CBS.
Shari Redstone — vice chair of the media conglomerate and the only daughter of the 93-year-old mogul — has been invited for the first time to the famous four-day shindig once frequented by her now ailing father.
“This could sort of be Shari’s coming-out party,” one insider told The Post, arguing that the charming 62year-old, who has long dwelled under her dad’s shadow, stands to have much to gain from hobnobbing here this week.
Meanwhile, her nemesis, Dauman, is a Sun Valley veteran who could be visiting for the last time.
Last month, Dauman, also 62, defended his track record in the press and parried accusations that his lavish compensation — $54 million last year alone — has contin- ued to rise even as Viacom’s stock has tanked.
“Philippe has stuck around a lot longer than people thought he would,” a source said. “So it will be particularly interesting to see whether he shows up this time.”
“Awwwwkwaaard!” said a Sun Valley regular of the prospect of watching Redstone and Dauman occupy the same room.
Allen & Co., a high-powered investment bank, may be licking its chops for potential deals coming out of Viacom, whose TV assets include MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.
The media giant has already tapped PJT Partners, the boutique investment bank headed by Paul Taub
man, to explore a possible sale of a minority stake in its Paramount Pictures unit.
Viacom isn’t the only big fish Allen & Co. is looking to land as an unrivaled slate of A-listers swarm to the resort in search of deals.
In addition to Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp. owns The Post, media barons on call will include Michael Bloomberg, Disney chief Bob Iger and Hollywood agent Michael Ovitz.