Sky News is reporting that Vice Media is currently in negotiations to sell "a major stake in itself" to Time Warner in a deal that would value Vice at $2.2 billion. Perhaps they'll finally make enough money to pay their staff a living wage?

Less than a year ago, Vice boss Shane Smith took an investment from Rupert Murdoch that valued Vice at $1.4 billion; three months ago, Shane Smith was wildly boasting about a possible IPO that could value the company in the tens of billions of dollars. So $2.2 billion sounds "about right," in the context of "online media companies are receiving some seriously insane fucking money right now," but not so insane as to be "what Shane Smith might think his company is worth after he ingests heavy drugs." Sky reports:

One potential structure under discussion would see Time Warner injecting HLN, a news platform owned by its Cable operations, into Vice in return for roughly half the enlarged company... Sources said on Monday that talks between Time Warner and Vice were at an advanced stage but that some final details had yet to be agreed.

"Injecting HLN," the frenetic cable newsbite network, into Vice, would be fucking weird.

The FT is also reporting that the deal is close, and could value Vice between $2 billion and $3 billion.

In any case, congrats to Shane Smith on his impending enormous payday. Is it somewhat hilarious that the cool kid Vice brand is about to get in bed with the hugest corporate media conglomerate that you will find anywhere? You be the judge. We will state again here for the record that if you are a Vice employee who would like to share details of your salary and working conditions at your (newly richer!) company, you can email Hamilton@Gawker.com.

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