Patreon vs Warner Bros. Discovery: Founders, CEOs and History
Patreon was founded in 2013 by Jack Conte, Sam Yam and is led by Jack Conte. Warner Bros. Discovery was founded in 2022 by Harry Warner, John Hendricks and is led by David Zaslav.
Company facts
Patreon
- Founded
- 2013
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, United States
- Current CEO
- Jack Conte
- Employees
- 370
Warner Bros. Discovery
- Founded
- 2022
- Headquarters
- New York, New York
- Current CEO
- David Zaslav
- Employees
- 35,500
Founders
Patreon
Jack Conte
Jack Conte co-founded Patreon in 2013 after years of building an audience on YouTube with Pomplamoose and earning little from ads.
Sam Yam
Sam Yam co-founded Patreon in 2013 alongside his Stanford roommate Jack Conte. While Conte was the creative musician deeply frustrated by YouTube's terrible ad payouts, Yam was the brilliant technical architect.
Warner Bros. Discovery
Harry Warner
Harry Warner was the eldest of the four Warner brothers who incorporated Warner Bros. Pictures in 1923 and served as its president. The studio released The Jazz Singer in 1927, one of the first feature films with synchronized dialogue. Warner Bros.
John Hendricks
John Hendricks launched the Discovery Channel in 1985 and built Discovery Communications, the predecessor of Discovery, Inc., which merged with WarnerMedia in 2022 to form Warner Bros. Discovery. He founded the Discovery business, not WBD itself.
CEOs and their tenures
Patreon
- Jack Conte2013–present
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
As Co-Founder and CEO, the eccentric musician serves as the absolute, highly passionate evangelist for the 'Creator Economy,' fiercely advocating for artists against the algorithmic tyranny of YouTube and TikTok.
Source - Sam Yam2013–present
Co-Founder (former CTO)
As Co-Founder and President, he oversees the massive engineering and product divisions, ensuring the platform remains highly reliable for creators whose entire livelihood depends on it.
Source
Warner Bros. Discovery
- David Zaslav2022–present
President and CEO
Led the 2022 merger, the post-merger cost cuts and debt paydown, the 2025 separation plan, and the sale process that produced the Paramount Skydance agreement.
Source - Gunnar Wiedenfels2022–present
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, he acts as CEO David Zaslav's primary hatchet man, enforcing brutal, multi-billion dollar cost-cutting measures to pay down the massive $40 billion debt load from the WarnerMedia merger.
Source
Timeline: Patreon and Warner Bros. Discovery side by side
1923Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Pictures Founded
Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner incorporate Warner Bros. Pictures.
1985Warner Bros. Discovery
Discovery Channel Launches
John Hendricks launches the Discovery Channel, the start of the Discovery business.
2013Patreon
Patreon Founded in San Francisco by Jack Conte and Sam Yam
Musician Jack Conte and engineer Sam Yam founded Patreon, writing the platform in six weeks and raising $2.1M.
2014Patreon
$15M Series A Led by Danny Rimer at Index Ventures
Raised Series A, crossing 10,000 creators earning over $1 million per month in fan subscriptions.
2015Patreon
Data Breach
Patreon disclosed in October 2015 that attackers had stolen and published user data.
2016Patreon
$30M Series B & Crosses $100M in Cumulative Creator Payouts
Raised $30 million led by Thrive Capital, passing $100 million paid out directly to artists.
2017Patreon
$60M Series C & The December Fee Crisis Humility Moment
Reached $60M Series C; reversed controversial transaction fee changes following creator community feedback.
2018Patreon
Memberful Acquired
Patreon bought the membership-software company Memberful in 2018.
2018Warner Bros. Discovery
Acquired Scripps Networks Interactive
Warner Bros. Discovery acquired Scripps Networks Interactive for $14.6 billion.
2019Patreon
$60M Series D at $660M Valuation & Launches European Entity
Expanded internationally, establishing Dublin operations and launching multi-currency billing.
2020Patreon
$90M Series E at $1.2B Valuation & Pandemic Creator Boom
Achieved unicorn status during COVID-19 lockdowns as creators turned to Patreon for direct survival.
2021Patreon
$155M Series F at $4.0B Valuation Led by Tiger & Lone Pine
Valuation reached $4.0 billion; cumulative creator payouts surged past $2.0 billion.
2022Patreon
Layoffs
Patreon cut about 17 percent of its staff in September 2022.
2022Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery Formed
AT&T spins off WarnerMedia and combines it with Discovery, Inc.; the new company lists on Nasdaq as WBD.
2023Patreon
Launches Free Memberships, Patreon Commerce & Spotify Partnership
Debuted digital goods sales, free membership tiers, and native podcast streaming inside Spotify.
2023Warner Bros. Discovery
Max Launched
Warner Bros. Discovery launched the Max streaming service in May 2023, combining HBO Max and Discovery+.
2024Warner Bros. Discovery
$9.1 Billion Write-Down
The company wrote down the value of its television networks by $9.1 billion in August 2024.
2025Warner Bros. Discovery
Netflix Wins Sale Process
After putting itself up for sale in October 2025, WBD agrees in December to sell its studios and streaming business to Netflix.
2025Warner Bros. Discovery
Split Plan Announced
Warner Bros. Discovery said in June 2025 that it would split into two listed companies.
2026Patreon
Creators Pass $10 Billion in Lifetime Earnings
Cumulative creator earnings passed $10 billion in August 2025, with about 25 million paid memberships.
2026Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount Skydance Merger Agreement
On February 27, 2026, WBD signs a merger agreement with Paramount Skydance at $31 per share in cash; the Netflix agreement is terminated.
2026Warner Bros. Discovery
Stockholders Approve Merger
WBD stockholders approve the Paramount Skydance transaction on April 23, 2026.
2026Warner Bros. Discovery
Closing Date Set
After a court approves a settlement with state attorneys general, the companies announce an anticipated closing date of October 6, 2026.
Acquisitions
Warner Bros. Discovery
- WarnerMedia2022$43B
- Scripps Networks Interactive2018$14.6B
- Eurosport2014Undisclosed
Questions about Patreon vs Warner Bros. Discovery
Who is the CEO of Patreon, Inc. and Warner Bros. Discovery?
Patreon, Inc. is led by Jack Conte and Warner Bros. Discovery is led by David Zaslav. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Patreon, Inc. founded vs Warner Bros. Discovery?
Patreon, Inc. was founded in 2013 — 9 years before Warner Bros. Discovery, which was founded in 2022. Patreon, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Warner Bros. Discovery.
How many employees does Patreon, Inc. have compared to Warner Bros. Discovery?
Patreon, Inc. employs approximately 370 people, while Warner Bros. Discovery employs approximately 35,500. Warner Bros. Discovery has the larger workforce at 35,500 employees, compared to Patreon, Inc.'s 370. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Patreon, Inc. and Warner Bros. Discovery headquartered?
Both Patreon, Inc. and Warner Bros. Discovery are headquartered in United States. Their local rules and tax obligations may still differ.
Who founded Patreon, Inc. and Warner Bros. Discovery?
Patreon, Inc. was founded by Jack Conte, Sam Yam. Warner Bros. Discovery was founded by Harry Warner, John Hendricks.
Which company has a longer operating history — Patreon, Inc. or Warner Bros. Discovery?
Patreon, Inc. has been operating for approximately 13 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Warner Bros. Discovery has been in operation for around 4 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Patreon vs Warner Bros. Discovery overview