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Ari Emanuel Debuts Holding Company MARI
Ari currency // GIF by Kate Walker
Ari Emanuel, the CEO of TKO Group and executive chairman of WME Group, is launching a new holding company called MARI.
The Big Picture: Emanuel has long had an appetite for assets spanning entertainment, art, sports, and culture. Consolidating these brands under a single investment vehicle could position him as the American answer to François-Henri Pinault, who oversees the European powerhouse holding company Artemis Group.
Behind The Investments: Ari, Inc. is officially open for business.
MARI’s portfolio already includes the Frieze art organization, pro tennis tournaments in Miami and Madrid, and the Barrett-Jackson car auction and lifestyle brand.
The company is backed by $2 billion from a stacked list of investors, including PE firms like Apollo, VCs like a16z, sovereign wealth funds like the Qatar Investment Authority, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and even NBA star Luka Dončić.
Mark Shapiro, WME Group’s current president, is also an investor and board member — suggesting assets may continue to flow between MARI and WME, mirroring Endeavor’s relationship with TKO.
According to Apollo partner Rob Givone, MARI will be on the hunt for “opportunities in live events and experiences.”
The Future: Emanuel has been broadening his ambitions beyond film and TV for years. While Endeavor was meant to be the vehicle for those interests, Wall Street never quite understood the story, leaving the stock a bit anemic. That led to a go-private deal with existing investor Silver Lake, freeing Emanuel and co-head Patrick Whitesell to pursue new ventures. While Whitesell is all-in on sports, Emanuel is betting that his cultural footprint — and cult of personality — can anchor MARI’s diverse empire.
Prediction: With MARI already invested in sports, it may be only a matter of time before Emanuel and Whitesell find themselves bidding for the same brands.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.