The sale of Desilu Productions to Gulf+Western was completed, ending Lucille Ball's tenure as head of the studio.
On April 28, 1967, the sale of Desilu Productions to Gulf+Western Industries (which later folded it into Paramount Television) was completed, bringing an end to Lucille Ball's five-year tenure as president and head of the studio.
Ball had led Desilu since 1962, guiding it through a period in which it remained one of the top independent television production companies in the United States, responsible for hit series including Star Trek and Mission: Impossible, both of which she personally championed and greenlit despite skepticism from network executives.
The sale, reportedly valued at around $17 million, represented a significant financial and personal milestone, allowing Ball to step back from the demanding responsibilities of studio management while retaining her status as a beloved on-screen performer. It marked the conclusion of a unique chapter in television history, in which a woman had successfully run a major Hollywood production studio during a decade of significant industry consolidation.
Following the sale, Ball continued her acting career, starring in The Lucy Show and later Here's Lucy. Her successful navigation of Desilu's sale—securing a lucrative deal and preserving key show legacies like Star Trek—further cemented her reputation as a shrewd and capable businesswoman, an important legacy she left in an industry that had long underestimated women's executive capabilities.