Ari Emanuel Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Endeavor Group Holdings CEO Ari Emanuel says the pledges by many media execs to rein in content spending amid a broader streaming rethink have yet to have an impact on his company.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Magnolia Network’s top PR exec John Marsicano has been tapped as Endeavor’s new vice president of internal communications, Variety has learned exclusively. Beginning in the New York-based position Monday, Marsicano will be leading internal communications efforts across Endeavor’s network of more than 7,000 employees and supporting engagement with the company’s subsidiaries. He will report directly to Kim Ulrich, senior vice president of corporate communications at the Ari Emanuel-run company. Marsicano has worked with the Gaineses since 2017, when he began at the “Fixer Upper” couple’s national home and lifestyle brand by overseeing all communications efforts, both internal and external, for the company and its portfolio of businesses. He exited that role to join Magnolia Network, the Gaineses’ joint venture with Warner Bros. Discovery (previously Discovery, Inc., ahead of the April merger with WarnerMedia), in the comms chief role under network president Allison Page.

Donald Trump in 2015 ahead of his presidential bid.Although the sale price was not disclosed, financial statements related to Trump’s political campaign said the organization was worth between $5 million and $25 million and had $3.4 million in revenue. A person familiar with Miss Universe’s financial situation told The Post the organization — which includes Miss USA and Miss Teen USA events — books $2 million in losses annually, while generating revenue between $7 million and $9 million. Emanuel has been trying to woo foreign investors based in Asia and South America, the sources said. A person familiar with Endeavor’s thinking said in order to offload the asset, the price of Miss Universe may be lowered a little, but not much.The mogul doesn’t like “admitting” he “lost money” on anything, so the price likely won’t be dropped “enough,” the person added. Endeavor declined to comment.A person familiar with the situation said a buyer is interested but declined to provide details.The insider said Miss Universe has been profitable on average since Endeavor bought it — if the pandemic year is stripped out.

Endeavor’s IMG has acquired a majority stake in Barrett-Jackson, a collector car auction and live events group, for just over $261 million in a cash and stock deal.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterEndeavor Content has named Kasee Calabrese, AMC Networks’ executive vice president of global finance, its new CFO.In her newly created role as executive vice president and chief financial officer for Endeavor Content, Calabrese will oversee the TV and film production company’s financial affairs and planning in support of its studio and distribution, documentary, music and live experiences divisions as the studio continues to expand.Calabrese’s new position is effective immediately. She will be a member of the senior leadership team, reporting to Endeavor Content co-CEOs Chris Rice and Graham Taylor.The AMC Networks vet joins Endeavor Content on the heels of South Korean media company CJ ENM acquiring an 80% stake in Endeavor Content.

NBC, The Washington Post and other media outlets reported today that Japan’s former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, was shot while giving a speech in western Japan near Kyoto. Both outlets cited the nation’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, who said the former PM was shot around 11:30 a.m. local time.

Endeavor Group has amended its pending purchase of sports betting company OpenBet in a cash and stock deal that’s now worth $800 million versus $1.2 billion when it was announced in September.

Endeavor announced Wednesday that it is merging talent agency IMG’s events division, IMG Events, with hospitality firm On Location. Paul Caine, who has led On Location since 2020, has been named president of the newly combined company.

UPDATED: The Los Angeles mayoral primary race that saw billionaire Grove developer Rick Caruso in the lead and Rep. Karen Bass trailing on election night has swung the other way as mail-in ballots, which make up the majority of the city’s votes, have crawled in. Caruso’s share of the tally has dropped 5 percentage points since election night, from 41% to 36% this afternoon, while Bass’ share has surged from 38% just after the polls closed to 43% today.

AMC Entertainment shareholders have sent a message to the company’s CEO, Adam Aron, by voting decisively to reject his compensation package.

UPDATE, 10:25 AM: Get your tickets now! WME is heading to trial next year over a fraud lawsuit from La La Land’s Oscar winning composer.

Elon Musk, according to Hollywood Life. The rumours first began to swirl on February 17, when a photo of Musk in LA exiting his G650ER private jet —worth a cool £50 million — with a “beautiful red-haired mystery woman” surfaced. One month later, Musk’s ex Grimes, 34, revealed on the cover of Vanity Fair that she had welcomed a second child into the world with the Tesla entrepreneur via a surrogate.

Elon Musk is enjoying a romantic getaway with his new girlfriend.

Ari Emanuel is a married man again!

Endeavor Group reported on Thursday that first-quarter revenue surged 37% from last year, as the entertainment powerhouse delivered growth from its key sports, content production and talent representation businesses.The conglomerate run by Hollywood mogul Ari Emanuel increased revenue to $1.47 billion during the first three months of the year, eclipsing the year-ago period’s $1.07 billion. Much of the growth was attributed to an economic recovery from pandemic lockdowns that sideswiped live events such as its Ultimate Fighting Championship franchise and the Super Bowl.Profit during the period rose to $517.7 million of net income, up from $2.4 million in the year-ago period when Endeavor was not a publicly-traded company.

David Zaslav and Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel scored nine-figure compensation packages, a Day-Glo illustration of the lengths that board rooms go to reward the men (and it is exclusively men) at the top. Those gaudy figures came largely in the form of stock options, which means the take-home pay could shrink if the market takes a nosedive, but both men are still among the most richly remunerated in this or any industry.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorAs Endeavor marks the first anniversary today of its debut on the New York Stock Exchange, the company deserves credit for doing a lot of things right.The stock has stayed above its IPO price of $24 for most of the past 12 months. The company has generated enough topline revenue gains amid tough economic conditions to demonstrate that its divisions have room to grow.But in other ways, the company led by Ari Emanuel looks to become harder to sell in the future if Endeavor wants to stay a public entity.

Will Smith’s palm. When you’re covering Oscars parties, naïve friends and family will tell you to “look out” for certain stars for them, not realizing the weekend isn’t about celebrity sightings and selfies, but a grueling yet glamorous slog of sleepless nights, slippery scoops, PR provocations, hors d’oeuvres and anxiety. You become completely un-star struck.

Andy Jassy, a longtime Amazon exec who became the company’s CEO last summer, made $212.7 million in total compensation in 2021, according to an SEC filing.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterFive candidates took the stage for an L.A. mayoral debate last week, but as far as Hollywood is concerned, there might as well be only two.Karen Bass, the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, is the favorite among the industry’s Democratic donor community, led by Jeffrey Katzenberg and J.J. Abrams.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorHollywood is out and about Los Angeles in the days and nights leading up to the Oscars. Here, Variety reporters go inside the hottest parties and events.W’s Best Performances Issue PartyGigi’s, Los Angeles, March 24Happy Birthday, Quentin Tarantino! W’s editor in chief Sara Moonves surprised the director with a birthday cake at about 9 p.m.

Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel’s 2021 compensation reached $308.2 million, at least on paper, thanks to the company’s initial public offering last April.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorEndeavor CEO Ari Emanuel saw a huge paper windfall in 2021 as he was awarded stock grants valued at more than $293 million in the year that saw Endeavor complete its initial public offering on its second try.Emanuel’s payday for last year was closer to $67.5 million in terms of “recognized compensation” that is not tied up in stock options that won’t vest for years to come. Endeavor’s annual report for 2021, filed Wednesday, included charts to demonstrate that while Emanuel’s total comp for 2021 hit an astounding $308.1 million on paper, his actaul take-home pay was far less. Emaneul’s haul included a base salary of $4 million and a bonus of $10 million.Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell took in $123.1 million on paper but only $11 million of recognized compensation.

Elon Musk is stepping down.

Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, who has long espoused the benefits of streaming’s boom times, said he’s “not nervous” about Warner Bros Discovery possibly pumping the brakes as it looks to take on Netflix and Disney.

Media and technology sector consultant David Carde has filed suit against Endeavor for “breach of implied in fact contract” and “unjust enrichment”, alleging that the powerful talent, sports and events company stole his detailed analysis that led to the company’s successful $10.3 billion IPO in the spring of 2021. In the suit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Carde said that he was not given credit or payment for an analysis that he sent to Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel in 2019 after Endeavor’s failed IPO, which the consultant believes was crucial to the success of the company’s successful IPO effort.

No one is ever going to say that Ari Emanuel doesn’t play rough, but a new lawsuit filed today accuses the Endeavor boss of having some very sticky fingers in his well compensated desire to turn his 2019 IPO dreams into a 2021 reality.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLindsay Aubin, Andrew Mathes, Dani Potter, and Andrew Wang have been promoted to partner in WME’s TV Scripted department, Variety has learned exclusively.Mathes started at WME in 2009, rising to the rank of coordinator in 2012 and then agent in 2013. His clients include Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, Carlton Cuse, John Legend, John Krasinski, Idris Elba, David Ayer, and Adam McKay’s HyperObject. He also led efforts to adapt podcasts into TV series, selling projects like “Limetown” to Facebook Watch, “Dirty John” at Bravo, and the upcoming “Gaslit” at Starz.Aubin started at WME in 2010, at first working as an assistant for people like Ari Emanuel, Ari Greenburg and Marc Korman.

EXCLUSIVE: Endeavor Content co-CEOs Graham Taylor and Chris Rice woke up today with new majority owners. Hatched under the Endeavor umbrella four years ago, Endeavor Content financed, packaged and sold over 100 series and films that included La La Land and Killing Eve. Endeavor, which owns WME, was forced to divest 80% of the production company, per a truce signed after a brutal battle with the WGA that put percenteries out of the packaging and affiliated production company businesses. CJ Entertainment, the Korean colossus best known here for making the Best Picture winner Parasite, stepped up last November with a pledge to spend $775 million. That deal closed last night. Here, Taylor and Rice discuss the company’s future under new backers. CJ is bullish: its public filing stated an expectation that Endeavor Content will generate making 40 movies and TV series by next year.

Korea’s CJ ENM, a media giant known for backing projects like the landmark Oscar-winning film Parasite, has closed its acquisition of a controlling stake in Endeavor Content.

EXCLUSIVE: A stinging lawsuit filed today by the composer of La La Land may leave WME wishing they’d been slipped the wrong envelope.

Endeavor Group Holdings CEO Ari Emanuel dismissed the recently announced acquisition of ICM Partners by CAA as “the type of merger we did 10 years ago.”

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterEndeavor chief human resources officer Kerry Chandler is departing her post, Variety has learned exclusively.The executive joined Ari Emanuel’s shop in 2018, ahead of a watershed moment for the business that has since gone public and continues to acquire portfolio properties outside its core talent representation and events verticals.

Maybe Jeremy Zimmer and Ari Emanuel need to take it to the octagon

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorThe chief executive of United Talent Agency pushed back against a seeming rebuke by the head of rival Endeavor, noting that that the two could not merge because their cultures would not make for a good match.“We don’t fit the profile of the kind of companies he buys,” UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer said of a remark made in September by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, who said “we don’t need it” after being asked if Endeavor should buy UTA to counter CAA’s recent decision to

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorA day after CAA clinched a deal to acquire ICM Partners, Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel told an industry crowd on Tuesday that he considered an ICM acquisition more than a decade ago, before Endeavor pulled off its acquisition of William Morris Agency.Emanuel weighed in on the big news in Hollywood during his long-scheduled Q&A at the Recode conference in Beverly Hills.