Sumner Redstone, Viacom Head Who Built Media Empire, Dies at 97

Sumner Redstone, the New England cinema operator who became a billionaire media mogul late in life after buying Viacom Inc., Paramount Pictures and CBS Corp., has died. He was 97.

His holding company, National Amusements Inc., confirmed the death Tuesday and provided no cause.

Sumner Redstone

Photographer: Valerie Macon/Getty Images

Even in a business known for larger-than-life personalities, the 6-foot-tall, redheaded Redstone stood out. His swashbuckling, billion-dollar takeover battles garnered headlines in the financial press. And his power struggles, love life and seemingly mercurial decisions, such as publicly firing action star Tom Cruise, made him the subject of endless industry gossip and ...