The Free Press
Independent media company built on Substack by journalist Bari Weiss.
Media
📍 New York, USA
Founded 2021
Current Valuation
$150M
as of 2025-Q3
PRIVATE
The Free Press is an independent media company founded by Bari Weiss after leaving The New York Times, growing from a Substack newsletter to a $20M+ revenue publication in five years. In September 2025 Paramount agreed to acquire it for $150M with Weiss becoming editor-in-chief of CBS News.
Company Profile
Est. Revenue
$20M (2025-Q2)
Last Round
Acquisition (Paramount) — $150M (Sep 2025) · Lead: Paramount
Founders & Key People
Bari WeissNellie Bowles
Investors
Marc Andreessen (personal) · David Sacks · Bill Ackman · Howard Schultz · Paramount (acquirer)
Products
- The Free Press (newsletter & site)
- Honestly podcast
- Live Debates events
- TGIF column
Competitors
The Atlantic · Tablet · Bari Weiss-era WSJ Opinion · Substack-native publications
mediajournalismsubstackindependent-newsacquisition
Private-company numbers are not real-time. Reflects publicly disclosed valuations from press releases, news reports, and tender offers as of 2025-Q3. Refreshed quarterly.