Former Today host Karl Stefanovic and Keshnee Ibrahim, who jointly own 123 Podcast, are facing a dispute in the New South Wales Supreme Court after the partnership was described as having suffered an irreconcilable breakdown. Both parties hold 45 percent of the company that runs The Karl Stefanovic Show.
Justice David Hammerschlag presented the court with two options: the company could be wound up on an equal basis with a liquidator determining its value, or Stefanovic could buy out Ibrahim’s shares. The judge asked what the buy‑out value would be. Stefanovic’s lawyer, Samuel Murray, acknowledged the breakdown and argued that a buy‑out was appropriate, while rejecting claims that the company was run in a way that oppressed Ibrahim’s interests. Murray also pointed to a valuation date of 7 August, arguing that it preceded most of the conduct that led to the dispute.
The podcast has been on hiatus since 24 August, when Stefanovic interviewed a de‑aging expert, following earlier controversies that saw him interviewed by far‑right figure Tommy Robinson and subsequently removed from Nine’s flagship Today program. Despite the hiatus, the show has accumulated roughly 23 million views on YouTube.
Ibrahim filed an urgent application to defer a meeting scheduled for 18 September, fearing removal as a director. The court ordered that both sides appoint an independent valuer and submit figures to the judge. After a brief adjournment, the parties agreed on a third‑party valuator. Hammerschlag set a further hearing for 13 October and urged that the matter be settled promptly.
