GrammysThe Count

A PRIVATE ENDEAVOR: MEET WME GROUP

March 24, 2025

The $25 billion private-equity deal to take WME parent Endeavor private once more was finalized on 3/24.

The new business, orchestrated by financial firm Silver Lake, will be known as WME Group, retiring the Endeavor name for public-facing purposes.

Ari Emanuel, founder of Endeavor and its CEO, will shift to a new role as executive chairman, while Mark Shapiro, who had been president and COO of Endeavor, will become president and managing partner, working in conjunction with Christian Muirhead and Richard Weitz, the WME co-chairs who will now be co-chairmen of WME Group. (Weitz apparently elected to ignore the memo about wearing a blue suit, whereas Shapiro is in flagrant violation of the no-ties policy. Get it together, people.)

Ari Emanuel

Ari Emanuel

Mark Shapiro

Mark Shapiro

Richard Weitz

Richard Weitz

Christian Muirhead

Christian Muirhead

Emanuel will continue as chairman and CEO of TKO Group Holdings, the public company that owns UFC and WWE, and Shapiro will keep on keepin' on as president and COO of TKO. TKO will remain publicly traded, with a controlling interest held by the now-private Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. Associated logos are viewable by request.

Endeavor was delisted on the New York Stock Exchange. Shareholders will receive $27.50 per share as part of the deal.

Including the TKO holdings, the arrangement represents a combined enterprise value of $25 billion, the biggest public-to-private pact ever for the media and entertainment sector.

Former Endeavor Executive Chairman Patrick Whitesell will leave the company, as expected, and start a new one backed by Silver Lake.