Folks, it finally happened—Endeavor, the corporate juggernaut behind WWE’s parent company TKO, just hit the financial equivalent of a steel chair to the stock market and went private. That’s right. No more Wall Street run-ins or shareholder surprise spots. The company’s new gimmick? WME, aka William Morris Endeavor—a name that screams “legacy” and “we’ll take your money in cash now, thanks.”
The move was backed by Silver Lake, the private equity firm with enough money to buy a small nation—or in this case, the entire float of Endeavor stock. This was no elbow drop from the top rope. Oh no, this was the largest take-private deal in media and entertainment history. Historic. Huge. Possibly wearing a $500 custom suit made from stock certificates.
Why go private? Because according to Endeavor, the stock market just didn’t appreciate their genius. Imagine having WWE, UFC, and Hollywood talent on speed dial and still feeling underappreciated. Sad!
💰 Money Talk with the Real Heavyweights:
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Ari Emanuel, the big boss man and real-life inspiration for half of Hollywood’s chaotic agents, steps into his new role as Executive Chairman of WME Group.
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For his troubles? A $173.8 million cash payout.
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And because he’s generous (with himself), he’s also rolling over $290 million in equity into the new company. That’s over $460 million in AriBucks.
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Mark Shapiro, previously the President and COO, is now promoted to President and Managing Partner—which we believe is corporate for “Don’t worry, you’re still on the payroll.”
💸 The $25 Billion Tag Team Exit:
Endeavor bought out public shareholders for $27.50 per share, totaling a jaw-dropping $25 billion. And before you ask—yes, the stock had basically done a moonsault and landed in the same place it started since 2021, despite acquiring WWE and forming TKO.
It’s like buying The Rock and still only drawing Nickelodeon numbers.
What About WWE?
Relax, wrestling fans. According to Wrestlenomics and the Wrestling Observer, the new structure won’t body slam WWE’s day-to-day. TKO is still publicly traded, and Endeavor/WME still owns 60%, meaning the muscle’s still there—it’s just wearing designer sunglasses and hiding from earnings calls.
So while Endeavor fades into the private equity sunset, WWE will keep delivering dropkicks, and UFC will keep throwing haymakers. But now, they’ll be doing it while their owners pop champagne far from the eyes of retail investors and Reddit threads.