The Relationship Economy Behind Endeavor Group

A top Hollywood talent agency is also a key bridge between political, tech, and foreign elites. Its founder Ari Emanuel is leveraging his social capital to build a business empire.

Endeavor chairman Patrick Whitesell (left) and CEO and founder Ari Emanuel (center) in 2016. Photo by Financial Times. Source.

Endeavor Group is a publicly-traded U.S. entertainment holding company worth $7.5 billion as of May 2023.¹ Originally founded as a Hollywood talent agency in 1995, it grew to become one of the top talent agencies through mergers and acquisitions of legacy competitors—and their exclusive social networks—then later expanded into live entertainment, professional sports, and much more. Today, representation is only a minority of the company’s revenue. This unusual expansion was led and made possible by Ari Emanuel, Endeavor’s founder and CEO, whose wide networks make him a key bridge between political, tech, and entertainment elites in the United States.