Barry Diller's networking

Since Barry Diller stunned Hollywood by resigning as Fox Inc.’s chairman and CEO, there has been no end to speculation about what he’ll do next. Although the 50-year-old claims no immediate plans, he’ll have no problem putting together a consortium of investors, possibly including his good pal, multimillionaire record producer David Geffen. Among the companies mentioned as possible Diller targets are NBC, CBS, Paramount Communications, Orion Pictures, or a new satellite-TV/pay-per-view operation.

But the latest word on Diller, however wild it sounds, is almost as startling as his departure: He’s soured on show business and might look elsewhere. ”Barry doesn’t give a damn about the movie business anymore,” says the head of a rival studio, adding, ”He’s not going to buy a movie studio or a network. I think he’s going to buy something like Revlon or maybe some small luxury hotels, something where he can utilize his relationships with friends like Calvin Klein and Diane Von Furstenberg and his show-biz acumen.”