Sony, Comcast, and private investment firms—Providence Equity Partners currently owns the greatest number of shares—and privately held as a minor media company independent of Sony/Columbia) Credit Suisse, JPMorgan Chase, other former bondholders (2011–2022) including Carl Icahn (2011–2012) United Artists was revived in 2019 as United Artists Releasing, the distribution banner. (2019–present) Amazon, 2022–present Warner Bros. Independent as Warner Brothers Studio, 1918–1923 (founded by Jack L. Warner, Harry Warner, Albert Warner, and Sam Warner; was not incorporated until 1923) Independent, 1923–1929 (formally incorporated and renamed Warner Bros. Pictures, Incorporated; Sam Warner died in 1927) Warner Bros.–First National, 1929–1967 (acquired First National Pictures; syndicate led by Jack Warner, Serge Semenenko of First National Bank of Boston, and Charles Allen Jr.; purchased a controlling interest in 1956) Warner Bros.–Seven Arts, 1967–1969 (purchased by and merged with Seven Arts Productions) Kinney, 1969–1972 (Kinney purchased Warner Bros.–Seven Arts) Warner Communications, 1972–1990 (Kinney spun off non-entertainment assets and changed name) Time-Warner, 1990–2001 (on January 10, 1990, in New York City, New York as a merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications) AOL Time Warner, 2001–2003 (AOL merged with Time Warner in 2001) Time Warner, 2003–2018 (AOL Time Warner reverted to their original name in 2003, which remained until AT&T's acquisition in 2018, despite spinning off AOL and Time Inc.) WarnerMedia, 2018–2022 (Time Warner renamed after AT&T acquisition) AT&T, 2018–2022 Warner Bros. Discovery, 2022–present (AT&T spin-off and merged with Discovery, Inc.) Columbia Pictures Independent as CBC Film Sales, 1918–1924 (founded by Harry Cohn, Joe Brandt, and Jack Cohn) Independent, 1924–1968 (company changes name to Columbia Pictures Corporation; goes public in 1926) Columbia Pictures Industries, 1968–1987 (merger between Columbia Pictures Corporation and Screen Gems. CPI becomes the parent of both companies) The Coca-Cola Company, 1982–1987 (purchased by Coca-Cola; Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture with HBO and CBS initiated in 1982—CBS drops out in 1985 and HBO in 1986) Columbia Pictures Entertainment, 1987–1991 (divested by Coca-Cola; Coke's entertainment business sold to Tri-Star and takes 49% in CPE) Sony Pictures Entertainment, 1991–present (Columbia Pictures Entertainment rebrands itself two years after purchase) Sony, 1989–2021 (purchased by Sony Corporation in November 1989) Sony Group Corporation, 2021–present (Sony reorganized) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Metro Pictures, 1915–1924 (founded by Richard A. Rowland, George Grombacker, and Louis B. Mayer) Goldwyn Pictures, 1916–1924 (founded by Samuel Goldwyn (then Goldfish) and theatre producers Edgar and Archibald Selwyn) Louis B. Mayer Pictures, 1922–1924 (founded by Louis B. Mayer; brought over