Gulf and Western Industries Inc. - Specimen Stock Certificate

Specimen Stock Certificate printed by Security-Columbian United States Banknote Corporation. Gulf and Western Industries, Inc., commonly referred to as Gulf+Western, was an American conglomerate that initially concentrated on manufacturing and resource extraction. However, starting in 1966 and continuing throughout the 1970s, the company shifted its focus by acquiring several entertainment firms. Among the most significant acquisitions were the film studio Paramount Pictures in 1966, the television studio Desilu Productions in 1967, the arcade and later video game manufacturer Sega in 1969, the book publisher Simon & Schuster in 1975, and various music labels, including Dot Records, which was a subsidiary of Paramount at the time of its acquisition. Many of these entities were reorganized under the Paramount brand, with Dot Records serving as the foundation for Paramount Records and Desilu evolving into Paramount Television. Throughout the 1980s, the company divested its non-entertainment assets and reoriented its focus towards entertainment and publishing. In 1989, Gulf and Western rebranded itself as Paramount Communications. In 1994, Viacom acquired a controlling interest in Paramount Communications, and the entertainment assets of Gulf and Western are now part of the media conglomerate Paramount Global.