Ari Emanuel, the corporate powerhouse who serves as CEO and executive chairman of TKO Group Holdings, has reached billionaire status for the first time of his life. Emanuel was added to the Bloomberg Billionaire index for his personal wealth, signifying his vast fortune. In addition to his role with TKO, Emanuel serves as the CEO of Endeavor Group Holdings, who launched TKO (which consists of WWE and UFC) in September 2023.
TKO has nearly doubled in value over the past 12 months, with the share price increasing by 48% over the last year. The company is now valued at over $27 billion, and recently added Professional Bull Riders to its portfolio. While Emanuel isn’t an on-screen figure for WWE, he has been referenced on programming by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who serves as part of TKO’s Board of Directors.
While Emanuel’s fortunes continue to soar, many in TKO have been left feeling drained. This week, it was reported that there are several backstage issues, including an increased workload that can reach up to 60 hours a week. Reducing employee perks has also led to staff members increasingly feeling undervalued. WWE has ditched its previous policy allowing employees to purchase stock with a 15% reduction in price. Complimentary WWE tickets have also been nixed, in another blow to company morale.
With WWE’s female Superstars also having concerns, morale has taken a turn in WWE on the road to WrestleMania 41. Nevertheless, the success of TKO can’t be ignored, while Ari Emanuel will be more than pleased to have reached billionaire status.