Ariel Emanuel

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Chief Executive Officer, Endeavor

Ariel Emanuel is Chief Executive Officer of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company comprised of industry-leading brands including WME, IMG and UFC. After rising through the Hollywood talent agency ranks, Emanuel co-founded the original Endeavor in 1995, eventually orchestrating the largest talent agency merger in history to form WME. He later led the company into a strategic partnership with Silver Lake, facilitating the acquisitions of IMG and UFC and culminating in the formation of holding company, Endeavor, which went public in 2021. Over the course of his career, Emanuel has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, one of Fortune’s Businesspersons of the Year, and one of Sport Business Journal’s 50 Most Influential People in Sports. Prior speaking engagements include conversations at Recode, Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference, The Economic Club of Chicago, and the Future Investment Institute.

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Interview - The movie business, coming from a famous family, helping UFC with "Fight Island," and Ari Gold | Bloomberg/The David Rubenstein Show [24:06] - Get Sharable Link

Interview - The movie business, coming from a famous family, helping UFC with "Fight Island," and Ari Gold | Bloomberg/The David Rubenstein Show [24:06]

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In Conversation - Endeavor CEO Ariel Emanuel | Recode [51:18]

News Interview - Super-agent Ari Emanuel breaks down earnings and outlook on live events | Squawk Box [2:53]

News Interview - Endeavor's Ari Emanuel on IPO, UFC, Elon Musk | Bloomberg Markets [11:25]

In Conversation - Life, career, the media industry, and loving it every day | Chicago Ideas Festival [36:52]

Talks & Conversations with Ariel Emanuel

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A Conversation with Ariel Emanuel

Ariel Emanuel offers candid and compelling insights about the media and entertainment industry from his path from Hollywood agent to CEO of a global sports and entertainment company, challenging audiences to take risks, maximize the lesson in every experience, and build emotional endurance. Emanuel can speak to the current state of media and entertainment, his unique approach for identifying and capitalizing on cultural trends, and developing long-range visionary approaches to inevitable change.

Press & Media

Ari Emanuel Takes on the World - The New Yorker

The David Rubenstein Show: Ariel Emanuel - Bloomberg

Biography

Ariel Emanuel is Chief Executive Officer of Endeavor (NYSE: EDR), a global entertainment, sports and content company comprised of industry-leading brands including WME, IMG and UFC.

After co-founding the original Endeavor talent agency in 1995, Emanuel orchestrated the largest talent agency merger in history in 2009 when Endeavor joined forces with William Morris to form WME. WME now represents leading talent across books, culinary, digital, film, music, television and theater.

In 2012, WME forged a strategic partnership with Silver Lake, a global leader in private investments in technology. In 2014, WME and Silver Lake acquired premier sports, fashion, events and media company IMG, and in 2016, the company acquired UFC®, the world’s premier professional mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. One year later, Emanuel announced the formation of a holding company for his global portfolio, Endeavor. Since then, Endeavor has been named one of Inc.’s Fastest Growing Companies in America and one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies. The company debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021.

A graduate of Macalester College, Emanuel began his career at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and went on to become a senior agent at InterTalent and International Creative Management (ICM). Emanuel is an associate member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. Additionally, Emanuel has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, one of Fortune’s Businesspersons of the Year and one of Sport Business Journal’s 50 Most Influential People in Sports.