News

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are officially husband and wife!

The 61-year-old Amazon founder and the 55-year-old journalist married in a lavish wedding on Friday evening (June 27) on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy, People has confirmed.

Keep reading to find out more…Guests in attendance at the star-studded wedding included Kim Kardasian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Tom Brady, Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio, Usher, Oprah Winfrey, Queen Rania of Jordan, and Bill Gates.

The newlyweds have been in Venice for the past several days celebrating their Italian nuptials with all of their famous friends. The night before the wedding, they hosted a glamorous welcome party.

If you didn’t know, news of Jeff and Lauren‘s relationship was first reported in 2019, shortly after he announced his divorce from MacKenzie Scott after 25 years of marriage. At the same time, Lauren was divorcing her husband of 13 years, Patrick Whitesell.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, hosted a foam party on their yacht ahead of their three-day wedding celebration later this week.

They are expected to be wed on June 27 in Italy. Due to public protests against the billionaire, they were forced to change their venue.

On June 22, Bezos and Sánchez were seen departing the island of Cres in Croatia on their $500 million super yacht, Koru. The couple and their guests were covered in white frothy bubbles spread out across the deck. The party-goers laughed while playing with the foam and tossing around giant, colorful beach balls.

Following a bubbly embrace on Koru, Sánchez and Bezos were seen relaxing in a daybed on a smaller boat nearby.

Many speculate the party was likely celebrating Sánchez’s son Evan’s 19th birthday that day.

Sánchez shares Evan, along with her daughter Ella, with her ex-husband Patrick Whitesell, as well as her son,...

Jason Lublin has left Endeavor after a two-decade run and will join Patrick Whitesell’s Wtsl as president and partner.

Most recently CFO at Endeavor, Lublin will now work closely with Whitesell to expand Wtsl’s investment strategy as it seeks emerging companies to champion across media, entertainment and sports.

Whitesell formed the Silver Lake-backed investment firm after parting ways several months ago with longtime colleague and business partner Ari Emanuel. Whitesell and Emanuel, after building Endeavor into a diversified media and sports conglomerate, shepherded its initial public offering in 2021. Silver Lake earlier this year took Endeavor private. Emanuel remained at Tko Group Holdings as CEO but surrendered the CEO title at Endeavor, which now operates as WME Group. (Emanuel is still executive chairman of WME.)

Prior to becoming CFO of Endeavor, Lublin held the posts of Chief Operating Officer and President of Img College. During his time at the company,...

Patrick Whitesell’s Silver Lake-backed investment firm Wtsl has hired former Endeavor CFO Jason Lublin as president and partner. Lublin will also work as president and COO of Win Sports Group, the NFL representation business that Whitesell acquired from WME.

Wtsl is Whitesell’s new venture, which he started as Silver Lake took Endeavor private earlier this year. Silver Lake committed $250 million to start the new company, with the NFL business the first acquisition.

Earlier this month the company announced a joint venture with Universal Music Group that is “focused around taking Umg’s music and artists and creating more opportunities with their IP through “film, television, fashion, consumer products and branded experiences” among other potential avenues.”

“Wtsl is uniquely positioned to help define the next chapter of growth and innovation in media, entertainment, and sports,” said Lublin in a statement. “I’m excited to join Patrick again in...

Universal Music Group has established a new joint venture with Patrick Whitesell and his Silver Lake Capital-backed investment firm Wtsl, Whitesell and Umg announced on Thursday.

The deal puts Whitesell — who left his post as executive chairman of WME back in March — in business with the world’s largest music company. Neither Umg nor Whitesell disclosed any specific financial details of the new partnership.

Among Umg’s roster of superstars are Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift among others. Whitesell and Umg said the Jv is focused around taking Umg’s music and artists and creating more opportunities with their IP through “film, television, fashion, consumer products and branded experiences” among other potential avenues.

“This is about building the future of artist IP with the scale and ambition it deserves,” Whitesell said in a statement. “Universal Music Group represents the most powerful collection of...

There are many qualities that will be required to become the next CEO of the Walt Disney Co. Boldness. Intelligence. Poise. But at a recent off-site corporate retreat, Disney’s current leader, Bob Iger, offered another piece of advice for a top-level executive: “You need to be more selfish.”

What Iger meant, according to the source who relayed the comment, was that the execs vying to succeed him must be willing to go to extraordinary lengths to beat out their competitors. It might seem like odd advice coming from a leader with a public image as a smooth strategist whose roughest edge is that he works so hard, he showers in his office (sometimes twice). But as Iger himself has noted, when he ran ABC in the early 1990s, he employed what he called “soft autocracy” to push through ideas that met resistance. More recently, after hand-selecting Bob Chapek as...

Leading management and production company 3 Arts Entertainment has acquired A&a Management Group, expanding in sports and naming A&a founders Aaron and André Eanes partners.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

A&a, which focuses on professional athlete representation and brand-building, will join 3 Arts’ deep bench in talent management and production spanning actors, writers, directors, comedians and creators as well as athletes.

Founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2011, A&a curates individualized strategies with clients including three-time Super Bowl Champion Travis Kelce, NBA stars Jonathan Kuminga and Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland, and NFL players Denzel Ward, Joe Haden, and Sports Illustrated model Camille Kostek. Its work extends across media, fashion, business, and philanthropy, securing partnerships with global brands like Amazon, Experian, Louis Vuitton and State Farm.

“Athletes are no longer defined solely by their performance, they are shaping culture, launching businesses, and building brands that resonate far beyond the world of sports,...

Patrick Whitesell has launched Win Sports Group, a new, independently owned football representation firm built to serve athletes, coaches, and leaders.

Whitesell, who previously co-founded WME and Endeavor Holdings, where he was co-ceo and executive chairman, is also the founder and chief executive of a new operating and investment platform backed by Silver Lake, which invests across media, entertainment, and sports. That was part of an overarching transaction that saw leading stakeholder Silver Lake take Endeavor private recently.

“As football continues to expand in global reach, commercial value, and cultural significance, Win Sports Group will support clients on and off the field. Today’s top talent is focused on contracts and opportunities directly tied to the game, as well as building careers, businesses, and platforms for influence that reach beyond the field. With a team experienced in both elite representation and long-term strategic planning, Win is built to help clients turn contract,...

WME is set to divest its basketball representation business, and may make a similar move for its baseball representation business, as it navigates some conflicts of interest associated with the firm’s take-private by Silver Lake, which closed last month.

WME will spin out WME Basketball into a new independent venture that will be owned by WME Group executive chairman Ari Emanuel, WME Group president and managing partner Mark Shapiro, and Bill Duffy, whose BDA Sports Management WME acquired in 2023. Duffy, Carlos Fleming, Bret Just and Karen Brodkin will move over to the new company.

The conflict of interest stems from Michael Dell’s family office being a capital investor in the take-private. Dell owns a stake in the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.

WME basketball reps some of the biggest names in the sport, including the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic, and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards.

Meanwhile, WME...

Matt Damon Harvard Script Turned Film(Photo Credit –Prime Video)

Before Matt Damon was walking across a stage with an Oscar in hand, he was just a Harvard student procrastinating his way into cinematic history. His fans, especially the ones who thought they knew everything about him, were recently left wide-eyed when they stumbled upon the unexpected backstory behind Good Will Hunting, a film that didn’t just launch his career but made him a household name.

Matt Damon’s Journey: From Mystic Pizza to Movie Stardom

Damon’s screen debut came in Mystic Pizza back in 1988, where he had a small role in the romantic dramedy, mostly remembered today for being a nostalgic artifact. But it would take nearly a decade, and a script that came out of a college assignment gone rogue, for him to truly make waves. By 1997, he was no longer just that kid from Massachusetts with acting dreams,...

Last month, shortly before Silver Lake completed its $25 billion deal to take Endeavor private, Carl Icahn disclosed that he had acquired a massive stake in Endeavor.

By appearances, it was an unusual buy. Endeavor had been trading above the $27.50 per share stockholders were slated to receive as part of the deal for most of the past year. He saw a play hedge funds have been jumping on in recent months: a form of merger arbitrage that could force Silver Lake to increase its payout to investors.

Several funds are taking to Delaware Chancery Court seeking revaluation of their shares. On Thursday, four funds filed petitions targeting the transaction. They join at least eight others, including Fifth Lane Partners Fund and North Commerce Parkway Capital, as well as affiliates of Hbk Capital Management Group LP and Ubs Group Ag, that’ve already done so. Their gambit revolves around the nearly 75 percent...

Exclusive: 20th Television has closed a first-look deal with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions to develop and executive produce scripted comedy, drama, adult animation and limited series for linear networks and streamers with an emphasis on content for Disney Entertainment Television platforms.

Omaha already is doing that with Chad Powers, the upcoming 20th TV comedy series starring Glen Powell for Hulu, which the company is producing. The first-look pact with 20th TV, part of Disney TV Studios, expands on that collaboration as well as Manning’s larger relationship with The Disney Company. Omaha has a first-look deal with ESPN for sports-related content. Chad Powers originated as a sketch produced by NFL Films and Omaha that ran on ESPN+ as part of the Eli’s Places series.

“Working with the incredible team at Omaha Productions while developing and filming Chad Powers has been pure joy,” said Karey Burke, President of 20th Television.

Patrick Whitesell has found his first deal.

The former Endeavor executive chairman is making his first investment through his new Silver Lake backed firm: A stake in Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions.

Whitesell’s firm will be a minority investor in Omaha, joining Peter Chernin’s North Road as a backer of the former NFL star’s media company.

Manning and former ESPN executive Jamie Horowitz founded Omaha in 2020, starting with a building block of the Monday Night Football “Manningcast,” as well as other sports content. It has since expanded into scripted content, lifestyle fare, branded content, podcasts and other genres.

Chernin invested in Omaha in 2023 via his North Road media rollup company. Omaha inked a nine-year deal with ESPN last year, covering the Manningcast and other programming like the Places franchise. Omaha has sold over 30 TV shows and films, the company says, to a number of networks and streaming platforms.

Former Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell and private equity giant Silver Lake have made an investment in Omaha Productions, the busy content banner headed by NFL great Peyton Manning.

The deal gives Whitesell and Silver Lake a minority stake in the company that produces ESPN2’s alternative “Monday Night Football” live telecast during the regular NFL season that features Manning and his brother Eli Manning, a fellow former star NFL quarterback, commenting on the game with celebrity guests and other entertaining elements. Omaha has also produced a slew of sports documentary content (including Netflix’s “Quarterback” and “Receiver” series) since the company was founded by Manning and veteran TV producer Jamie Horowitz in 2020.

Whitesell earlier this month formally exited Endeavor and WME after nearly 25 years, following the completion of Endeavor’s transaction with its majority owner Silver Lake to go private again after four years as a publicly traded entity.

Former Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell’s new media company has taken a minority stake in Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions.

The funds from Whitesell’s company will be used to grow Omaha’s existing lines of business, expand into new areas and invest in companies with similar values that could benefit from its production and marketing. It recently announced an investment in the creator-led golf and lifestyle company Good Good Golf.

“Omaha’s strong track record of creating engaging content puts them in a strong position to capitalize on new opportunities across entertainment and sports,” Whitesell said in a Thursday statement. “Partnering with Peyton, Jamie [Horowitz] and the Omaha team is such a clear choice as the first investment for our new venture, given their impressive track record, the strength of the business and commitment to applying the same energy to continuing the company’s growth.”

The Silver Lake-backed platform...

Patrick Whitesell has made his first investment under a just created venture backed by Silver Lake — acquiring a minority stake in Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions.

The former executive chairman of Endeavor, which was taken private by Silver Lake earlier this week, is CEO of the new platform — which hasn’t yet settled on a name — in partnership with the giant investment fund that will focus on sports, media and entertainment businesses. Silver Lake is providing an initial $250 million in capital.

Financial details of the deal with Omaha Productions weren’t disclosed.

“All of us at Omaha are excited to get to work with Patrick and Egon as our new teammates to grow the business and create new opportunities for fans,” said co-founder Manning, referring to Silver Lake CEO Egon Durban.

The new investor joins Peter Chernin, whose North Road took a minority stake in Omaha in 2023 and has served...

He has just stepped aside as one of the most influential talent agents of his generation, having shepherded the careers of everyone from Ben Affleck to Matthew McConaughey to Angelina Jolie, but Patrick Whitesell is in no mood to get wistful.

“My life’s work has been building this company, so in that regard — yes, it’s an end of an era moment. But I’m looking at this more as my third act,” Whitesell tells The Hollywood Reporter in his first on-the-record interview since Silver Lake’s $25 billion deal to take Endeavor private closed. Whitesell will exit the agency to run two different ventures — an NFL sports management company that he spun off from WME and a sports, media, entertainment investment “platform” backed by a $250 million investment from Silver Lake private equity.

“The real inflection point of my career was the successful merger with William Morris,” he said referring...

Ari Emanuel, the new executive chairman of WME Group, is taking out $175.8 million in cash as Endeavor is acquired by Silver Lake Partners. The transaction announced this morning creates a private company its new owner valued at $25 billion.

Endeavor stakeholders are rolling chunks of their current ownership into the new private entity, but not all. Emanuel, who is also CEO and executive chair of Tko Group, is rolling over significant ownership interest he held in the old Endeavor valued at $290.3 million, which is $26 million more than initially agreed upon last year, according to SEC filings.

Endeavor executive Patrick Whitesell has rolled $265.7 million into the privately held entity, which is $50 million more than was originally agreed upon. With the close of the transaction, he received the balance of his equity — $100 million — in cash.

Whitesell is exiting Endeavor/WME to launch a new investment venture with Silver Lake and $250 million in seed money.

Endeavor executives Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell received nine-figure cash payments in connection Silver Lake’s take-private of the company, though both men are rolling over most of their equity into the private venture.

Emanuel had been CEO of Endeavor, and became executive chairman of the newly-named WME Group in connection with the take-private, while Whitesell had been executive chairman of Endeavor and will leave to launch his own venture backed by Silver Lake.

Per an SEC filing Monday in connection with the deal, Emanuel and a trust controlled by Emanuel received a payment of $174 million in connection with the deal. Emanuel will also roll over more than $290 million in equity into the new private company, $26 million more than he originally agreed to roll over.

Whitesell, meanwhile, received a $100 million cash payment, and is rolling over nearly $266 million in equity, $50 million more than he originally agreed to roll over a year ago.

Silver Lake has finalised a $25bn deal to acquireEndeavor in a move that takes the parent of Hollywood agency WME private and sees founder Ari Emanuel move from CEO to executive chair.Mark Shapiro will leadthe renamed WME Group.

Private equity group Silver Lake and its co-investors have acquired 100% of the outstanding shares in Endeavor. The now privately held Endeavor Group Holdings retains its controlling ownership stake in sports and entertainment company Tko Group Holdings.

Silver Lake said on Monday that when consolidating all of Tko’s value into Endeavor, the combined total enterprise value of $25bn at $27.50 per share...

Silver Lake has successfully taken publicly traded Endeavor private again, closing its acquisition of outstanding shares that will see the entertainment giant led by Ari Emanuel wave goodbye to the New York Stock Exchange after four years.

The Endeavor brand will no longer be used publicly. Its collection of assets will operate under WME Group, the companies said today. Emanuel, who founded the Endeavor talent agency in 1995 and most recently served as CEO of Endeavor, is now executive chairman of WME Group and continues as CEO and executive chair of Tko Group.

Mark Shapiro will lead WME Group as president and managing partner in conjunction with Christian Muirhead and Richard Weitz. Shapiro most recently served as Endeavor president and chief operating officer. He continues as president and COO of Tko.

Muirhead and Weitz, who have served as co-chairs of WME since 2022, are now co-chairs of WME Group and continue to lead the agency.

Endeavor is private once more, as the $25 billion deal by Silver Lake closed Monday morning.

With the take-private complete, a slew of changes are in order. For starters, the newly-private businesses will go by WME Group, retiring the Endeavor name for public-facing purposes.

Ari Emanuel, who founded Endeavor in 1995 and most recently served as CEO of the public venture, will shift to a new role as executive chairman.

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 be co-chairmen of WME Group.

And as widely expected, former Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell will exit to launch a new venture backed by Silver Lake that will “invest in and scale properties and IP across sports, media, and entertainment.” When the take-private was announced a year ago, it was noted that...

After a drawn-out engagement and swirling rumors, Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos have reportedly sent out their wedding invitations, revealing the much-anticipated location: Venice, Italy. The summer nuptials promise to be a star-studded affair, joining a long list of A-list celebrities who have chosen the romantic Italian city for their big day.

Emmy-winning journalist Sanchez, 55, and Amazon founder Bezos, 61, became engaged in May 2023, nearly five years into their relationship. The proposal, complete with a $2.5 million ring, was a moment Sanchez described as leaving her “blacked out a bit.” Now, nearly two years later, the couple is finally ready to tie the knot.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Finally Set Billionaire Wedding Date: A-List Nuptials Heading to Venice!

The choice of Venice as the wedding destination follows their engagement celebration in Positano, further solidifying their love for Italy. The exact date remains a secret, but sources confirm the ceremony will take place sometime this summer.

Endeavor chairman Patrick Whitesell’s ex-sister-in-law is taking meetings around town pitching a TV series based on her life — but the Whitesell brothers can relax. None of them make an appearance in the project.

Instead, Iranian-born Ladan Rafii, 62, who was briefly married to TV writer Chris Whitesell in the 1980s, is focusing the plot of her series on her time as a political, legal and civil affairs officer at the Un in the late 1970s and early 80s, after the fall of the Shah. It was, she says, a dangerous gig that took her on a harrowing adventure around the globe, with stops in Hong Kong (where she was shot at during a taxi cab car chase), outside Washington DC (where one of her uncles was murdered by Iranian agents) and Teheran (where another relative was killed), as well as Paris, Geneva, New York and a slew of other exotic locales.

Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos might dominate the headlines now, but her ex-husband, Patrick Whitesell, quietly carved out his own chapter post-split. Once part of Hollywood’s ultimate power couple, Whitesell didn’t dwell on the past. Instead, he made waves of his own, moving on with a stunning model nearly two decades his junior.

Jeff Bezos | Credits: @jeffbezos via Instagram

While Sánchez’s alleged affair with Bezos turned into tabloid gold, Whitesell kept it classy, letting his enviable new romance speak volumes.

Patrick Whitesell moves on in style after Lauren Sánchez’s alleged affair with Jeff Bezos Lauren Sánchez | Instagram (@laurenwsanchez)

Lauren Sánchez’s love life may’ve taken center stage, but her ex-husband, Patrick Whitesell, is thriving on his own terms. The powerhouse talent agent, known for representing Hollywood icons like Ben Affleck and Amy Adams, didn’t let Sánchez’s alleged affair with Jeff Bezos slow him down.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Lauren Sanchez is receiving more scrutiny than ever following her appearance at the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

Sanchez, of course, is the fiancée of Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos.

Bezos has been critical of Trump in the past, but he donated to this year’s inauguration fund, and he was on hand today to watch the 47th president take his oath of office.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez attend “The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power” World Premiere in Leicester Square on August 30, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Lauren was by his side in the Capitol rotunda, and her outfit attracted quite a bit of attention.

Lauren Sanchez Makes a Splash, Generates Controversy at Inauguration

Some blasted Lauren’s “lingerie-inspired look as “inappropriate” for the occasion.

“Jeff Bezos’s future wife Lauren Sanchez is incredibly inappropriately dressed for a state occasion.

The rumors are true: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are over … again.

One of Hollywood’s most famous A-list couples have split for a second time as Lopez filed for divorce on Tuesday in L.A. County Superior Court, according to The Associated Press. Per People, Lopez listed the date of separation as April 26, 2024, though she filed today, on Aug. 20, the second anniversary of their ceremony in Georgia, an extravagant wedding that followed a quickie Las Vegas elopement in July 2022. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to reps for Affleck and Lopez and will update accordingly, though no statements are expected as they both have kept mum in recent months about the status of their relationship. TMZ was the first to report the news.

The filing comes after a dizzying few months of tabloid headlines and TMZ news blasts covering the sale of their $65 million mansion, separate outings (with and...

Billionaire Jeff Bezos‘ fianceé, Lauren Sánchez, recently shared a video on Instagram that showcased her piloting skills as she flew her son Nikko Gonzalez, 23, and actor Orlando Bloom, 47, in a helicopter for a skydiving excursion.

Sánchez, 54, who shares her eldest child Nikko with ex-boyfriend NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez, has also been open about her other children – son Evan, 17, and daughter Ella, 16, whom she had with her ex-husband Patrick Whitesell. In the video, Sánchez pilots the aircraft with a warm smile as her son and Bloom prepare for their skydive with a fist bump.

Sánchez captioned the post, “I guess you could call me a helicopter mom.”

window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-mid', container: 'taboola-mid-article-thumbnails', placement: 'Mid Article Thumbnails', target_type: 'mix' });

Gonzalez’s stepmother, October (Tobie) Gonzalez, commented on the post, “Omg, lol,” while Kris Jenner added, “.”

Sánchez’s passion for aviation extends beyond her latest high-flying adventure.

Former television reporter Lauren Sánchez celebrated her son Nikko‘s college graduation with their friends and family, including her NFL star ex Tony Gonzalez and his wife.

Sánchez, joined by her fiancée, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, took to Instagram to share footage from the celebration at home.

“I’m super excited to see what this next chapter in your life is going to be,” she told her 23-year-old son. “I know it’s going to be amazing. I am so proud of you. You have no idea how proud I am.”

Other images included family portraits, as well as photos of Sánchez with her son and his father.

“Nikko, I am so proud of you! Congratulations, class of 2024. I couldn’t help but get emotional. We love you,” she captioned the post.

Nikko was born in 2001, and Sánchez and Gonzalez split shortly after. In addition to Nikko, Sánchez is the mother of Ella,...

Exclusive: Former Fifth Season film head Alexis Garcia has launched CAT5, an action film label that will be backed by his former employers, who are among other investors and partners to be announced at later date. As one of its first projects, CAT5 has signed on to co-finance Black Bear’s A Working Man. The film is in production, with David Ayer-directing the Jason Statham vehicle that was adapted from the Chuck Dixon novel by Sylvester Stallone, with revisions by Ayer. Garcia joins as an executive producer. The film is in production in London and slated for wide theatrical release in the U.S. by Amazon MGM Studios on January 17, 2025.

Garcia spent seven years with Fifth Season and Graham Taylor and Chris Rice, helping build it from its 2017 launch as Endeavor Content. Before that he spent a decade at Endeavor/WME under Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell, where he...

Endeavor chief Ari Emanuel received a roughly $84 million pay package last year — between his base salary, bonus, stock awards and other compensation — the company disclosed in its proxy filing on Thursday.

President Mark Shapiro received $38.8 million, by those same measures, in 2023, while executive chairman Patrick Whitesell saw $13.2 million in pay, the filing disclosed.

The Endeavor pay for Emanuel and Shapiro include their paydays at Tko Group Holdings, the owners of WWE and UFC, where Emanuel’s compensation package was valued at nearly $65 million last year.

After a three-year run as a public company, Endeavor is set to go private in a reversal for Silver Lake and the executives running the company. But Emanuel, Whitesell and Shapiro will all be the beneficiaries of some generous deal-related bonuses.

For starters, they are incentivized to be sellers. While a source says that no major asset sales are imminent and there is no rush to sell anything off,...

Jeff Bezos and his future wife Lauren Sanchez hold hands as they arrive at the State Dinner on Wednesday (April 10) at the White House in Washington, DC.

The dinner was hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden to honor Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

If you don’t know, the Amazon founder and his fiancee got engaged back in May of 2023. It’s unclear when they will be getting married at this time, but they did throw a star-studded engagement party.

The couple first went public with their relationship back in 2019, following Jeff‘s split with his wife of over 24 years, Mackenzie Scott. Lauren was formerly married to CAA’s Patrick Whitesell. The news of their divorce in 2019 came one day after Jeff Bezos‘ divorce was finalized.

Fyi: Lauren is wearing Rasario.

Silver Lake, the private equity firm that is planning to take WME owner Endeavor private, is also aiming to get further into business with Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell.

According to Whitesell’s new employment agreement, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in conjunction with the take-private, Silver Lake is committing $250 million in seed money for a new media company to be led by the Endeavor executive chairman.

“Activities of the Media Company will include (a) investing in and providing services to companies in the entertainment, media and sports industries; (b) developing, producing, financing and exploiting film, television and digital audio visual content; (c) talent management; and (d) consulting with other entertainment companies,” per the filing.

The agreement also says that Whitesell will continue to serve on the (soon-to-be private) Endeavor board and will continue to play a central role in the company, and continuing to work...

Silver Lake’s plan to take Endeavor private includes an investment of $250 million of seed equity “into a new business to be founded, managed and controlled” by executive chairman Patrick Whitesell.

The business will include “investing in and providing services to companies in the entertainment, media and sports industries; developing, producing, financing and exploiting film, television and digital audio visual content; talent management; and consulting with other entertainment companies,” according to an SEC filing today that include new contract details for Endeavor’s top executives.

So Whitesell, while continuing to be a big Endeavor shareholder and board member and remaining in a central role in WME, will be branching out. That’s all there was about the new company in the filing, which also laid out new employment letters for CEO Ari Emanuel and president and COO Mark Shapiro, who will be running Endeavor.

The document also refers a number...

Endeavor Group Holdings, parent of talent agency WME and controlling shareholder in combat sports powerhouse Tko Group, is going private.

Private equity firm Silver Lake Capital is leading the privatization, which the company describes Tuesday as the largest in media and entertainment history and the biggest in any sector over the past decade. The equity value of the acquisition is pegged at $13 billion, with the enterprise value nearly double that when the Tko interest is taken into account.

Shareholders will receive $27.50 in cash for each share. The price is a 9% premium over Monday’s close and 55% better than the closing price last October 25, which was when Endeavor announced it was considering strategic alternatives.

The move ends a mixed three-year run for Endeavor as a public company. Announced with great anticipation prior to Covid, the effort to take the company public was pulled at the eleventh hour in 2019 before finally coming...

After three years as a publicly traded company, the Ari Emanuel-led Endeavor is going private.

The Beverly Hills-based sports and entertainment giant — the owner of talent agencies WME and Img as well as assets like the Pbr bull riding organization, betting data firm OpenBet, marketing agency 160over90 and hospitality firm On Location — will be acquired by majority shareholder Silver Lake at a valuation of $13 billion, the firm said Tuesday.

Private equity firm Silver Lake will acquire all outstanding shares and Endeavor stockholders will receive $27.50 per share. The company traded on the New York Stock Exchange as “Edr” and closed at $25.27 per share on April 1. (Silver Lake notes that the company was trading at $17.72 on Oct. 25, a day before Endeavor formally declared a review of “strategic alternatives,” including the option to go private.)

The move marks the end of a run that began pre-pandemic in May 2019, when the company filed its intent to go public,...

On Oscar night, details matter. Who are you wearing? What are you nominated for? Who won? Just don’t expect everyone to know the answers.

“What movie won?” Rick Hilton asked as he and wife Kathy Hilton assumed position at the end of a glamorous queue to get into Vanity Fair’s 30th anniversary Oscar party in Beverly Hills on Sunday after 10 p.m. They asked their son, Kathy says, but no clue. Fortunately, a gentleman standing directly in front of the couple had the answer. “It was Oppenheimer,” he said, not mentioning the awkwardness of Al Pacino’s best picture reveal. Some details can be saved for Monday morning. Plus, there are more rapid-fire questions to field.

What movie is that? Is it based on a true story? Who was the emcee?

“Oh, Jimmy Kimmel. I like him,” Rick said, smiling, in a totally relatable moment because who doesn’t love Jimmy Kimmel?...

Engaged couple Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez hold hands while arriving to a party during Milan Fashion Week on Saturday (January 13) in Milan, Italy.

The 60-year-old billionaire Amazon founder and his 54-year-old partner were also seen earlier in the day while out and about in the Italian city.

The pair have been in town celebrating Bezos‘ birthday, which was on January 12.

If you don’t know, the couple got engaged back in May of 2023. It’s unclear when they will be getting married at this time.

The couple first went public with their relationship back in 2019, following Jeff‘s split with his wife of over 24 years, Mackenzie Scott. Lauren was formerly married to CAA’s Patrick Whitesell. The news of their divorce in 2019 came one day after Jeff Bezos‘ divorce was finalized.

Update, 5:43 Pm: Ari Emanuel has received an early Christmas present courtesy of a LA Superior Court judge.

Peeved at Wall Street, the Endeavor CEO may be evaluating “strategic alternatives” for the currently publicly traded entity but at least he won’t have to go to mattresses over “theft of …intellectual property” allegations out of the company’s eventual IPO in 2021.

A December 15 unsealed ruling by Judge Gregory Keosian rejected any notion by plaintiff David Carde that there was “a valid implied-in-fact contract between himself and Endeavor over analysis and marketing strategies the consultant sent to the company unsolicited almost four years ago. “Mr. Carde is entitled to be recompensed for Endeavor’s unjust enrichment in an amount to be proven at trial,” declared his Early Sullivan Wright Gier & McRae Llp lawyers in their initial complaint of March 2022.

“Defendant Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc’s Motion for Summary Judgment is Granted,...

William Morris Endeavor want nothing to do with Billy Cosby or a sexual assault case against the much-accused comedian.

In paperwork filed in LA Superior Court yesterday, WME asserted that they should not be a co-defendant in Linda Ridgway-Whitedeer’s claims that the man once known as “America’s Dad” forced her to perform oral sex on him back in 1971.

Having first went public with the alleged assault in 2015 as dozens of women came forward against Cosby, the plaintiff’s civil suit of September this year says that “at the time of the sexual assault, the William Morris Agency knew, or should have had knowledge of Defendant’s repeated acts of sexual assault.”

Now, the agency that Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell created out of the 2009 melding of William Morris and Endeavor proclaims they had “no control” over what did or did not happen 52 years ago.

“Pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure …WME denies,...

Endeavor, the owner of WME, Img and a majority stake in Tko Group, is going to test the market — and is considering going private.

The company said Wednesday that it is initiating “a formal review to evaluate strategic alternatives for the Company.” Endeavor adds that it is not considering a sale of its stake in Tko, which owns and operates the UFC and WWE.

“Given the continued dislocation between Endeavor’s public market value and the intrinsic value of Endeavor’s underlying assets, we believe an evaluation of strategic alternatives is a prudent approach to ensure we are maximizing value for our shareholders,” said Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel in a statement.

Private equity firm Silver Lake, a major shareholder in the company with 71 percent of Endeavor’s voting power, added: “Silver Lake is committed to strategies that deliver value for all shareholders of Endeavor. To that end, Silver Lake is...

Oops, he did it again.

At 62, Ari Emanuel is now lord and master (or more precisely, CEO) of not one but two publicly held companies. Still, he could not resist bashing his longtime rivals at CAA when presented with a mic at the Bloomberg Screentime conference. And those weren’t the only comments that made some of his associates cringe.

Emanuel is credited with leading his company into expansion, often with pricey acquisitions. The logic of some of these deals escaped observers — Professional Bull Riders? Ok, but overcoming the odds, he transformed Endeavor into a public company in 2021. And in September, Tko Holdings, the combined UFC and WWE, began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Other agents — Mike Ovitz comes to mind — yearned to transcend their client-servicing roles. Emanuel has achieved that dream, yet all these deals later, he is still apparently in the grip of his inner agent.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are engaged.

The happy news, which sources have confirmed to People and Daily Mail, comes after the couple set sail with sheer extravagance over the weekend, making a grand entrance at Cannes for the famed film festival in Bezos’ opulent $500 million superyacht, per Page Six.

As they vacation in the South of France, the Amazon founder, 59, and the Emmy-winning journalist, 53, were spotted smooching and getting touchy on board the yacht, named Koru. On Sunday, Sánchez was also seen wearing a gigantic diamond on her ring finger — in photos obtained by People and Daily Mail — after Bezos reportedly popped the question while sailing the coastal Mediterranean Sea.

Read More: Dolly Parton Awarded $100 Million To Charities Of Choice By Jeff Bezos

While away from his stunning ship, the Amazon billionaire and the former “Good Day LA” co-host attended a magazine launch at the coveted film festival at...

Jeff Bezos is reportedly headed to the altar once again. On May 22, a source told People that 59-year-old former Amazon CEO and multibillionaire Bezos is engaged to 53-year-old broadcast journalist Lauren Sánchez. Reps for Bezos did not immediately respond to Popsugar's request for comment, and reps for Sanchez could not immediately be reached.

The news comes shortly after Bezos and Sánchez were spotted in the South of France, where they attended the Cannes Film Festival and spent time on Bezos's new $500 million yacht. Called Koru, which is a Māori word for loop and which symbolizes new beginnings, the yacht also includes a sculpture of what looks like Sánchez on its prow, per People.

The pair first went public in January 2019, shortly after Bezos divorced his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie Scott. Sánchez and Bezos have since attended numerous events together, and they've also shared affectionate social media posts in celebration of their love.

Endeavor Group Holdings CEO Ari Emanuel, whose bonus-laden $308 million pay package turned heads in 2021, made $19.1 million in 2022, according to the company’s latest proxy filing.

The exec took home $4 million in salary, $8.2 million in the form of a bonus and $6 million in non-equity incentive compensation, the filing said.

Emanuel’s tally narrowly eclipsed that of CFO Jason Lublin, President and COO Mark Shapiro, with Lublin collecting $18.5 million and Shapiro $18.7 million.

Executive Chairman Patrick Whitesell, whose 2021 package reached $123.1 million, took home $12.2 million last year.

After calling off a planned IPO at the 11th hour in 2019, Endeavor finally went public in April 2021, at the same time it gained full ownership of the UFC. The long-anticipated offering brought significant paydays in the form of stock grants for the entire senior management team, skewing comparisons with 2022. The parent company of agencies WME and Img has branched out well beyond its roots in representation and...

In Endeavor’s first full year as a public company, CEO Ari Emanuel was paid a package topping $19 million, a sharp decline from 2021. Emanuel’s 2021 pay package topped $300 million, thanks mostly to a one-time stock grant tied to the company’s IPO.

His 2022 compensation is more in line with what he would expect during a typical year.

2022 was a critical one for Endeavor, having gone public the year before. The company reported a 2022 revenue of $5.3 billion and net income of $322 million, both significant improvements from 2021.

Other Endeavor executives saw similar changes to their compensation. Executive chairman Patrick Whitesell earned $12.2 million in 2022, down from $123 million the year before, while president Mark Shapiro’s compensation fell to $18.7 million from $42 million. Both received one-time stock grants last year tied to the IPO.

The company has continued to pursue acquisitions while trying to grow its core representation and owned sports businesses. Last month, the...

Frieze Los Angeles took off on the V.I.P opening day on Thursday, Feb. 16, at its new space at the historic Santa Monica Airport. The expansive show, featuring more than 120 galleries from 22 counties, is the biggest L.A. edition of the famed art fair to date, and celebrities dressed accordingly.

Gwyneth Paltrow wore a pair of trusty trainers to traverse the mammoth fair — which sprawls over both the Barker Hangar and a specially designed tent — as did Princess Eugenie, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, who is a director at global gallery Hauser & Wirth.

Other notable attendees included Shailene Woodley, Heidi Klum, Bobby Flay, Catherine Keener, Jared Leto, producer Ronnie Sassoon, Christopher Waltz, Owen Wilson, mogul Lynda Resnick, Justine Bateman, John McEnroe, Lionel Ritchie, Margot Robbie, writer/producer/collector Maria Arena Bell, Endeavor’s Patrick Whitesell, WME’s Dan Aloni, CAA’s Joel Lubin, producer David Hoberman, and Tyler the Creator,...

Click here to read the full article.

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Hocus Pocus 2, A Friend of the Family, Entergalactic and the Clooney Foundation for Justice’s Albie Awards.

Hocus Pocus 2 premiere

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy premiered their highly anticipated Disney+ sequel in New York on Tuesday, along with newcomers Sam Richardson, Whitney Peak and Belissa Escobedo.

Anne Fletcher, Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Adam Shankman, Lynn Harris and Sam Richardson Whitney Peak and Belissa Escobedo Bette Midler

Entergalactic premiere

On Wednesday, Netflix hosted a brunch and evening premiere for new series Entergalactic, the latter at the The Paris Theater in New York City. Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi, Jessica Williams, Ty Dolla ign, Laura Harrier and Teyana Taylor were in attendance along with executive producers Kenya Barris,...

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck doubled down on their marriage vows with a decidedly more elaborate affair in Riceboro, Ga (a small town just outside of Savannah), on Saturday, Aug. 20. The couple - who were officially married at a Las Vegas wedding chapel on July 17 - celebrated their love with their friends and families in Georgia.

The couple's second ceremony was a star-studded event. Affleck's longtime friend Matt Damon was in attendance alongside his wife, Luciana Barroso. Other guests included director Kevin Smith and his wife, Jennifer; "Clerks" star Jason Mewes and his wife, Jordan Monsanto; and model Pia Miller and her husband, Patrick Whitesell. Meanwhile, photos indicate the wedding party included Lopez's children with Marc Anthony, 14-year-old twins Max and Emme, as well as Affleck's children with ex Jennifer Garner: Violet (16), Seraphina (13), and Samuel (10).

Lopez walked down the aisle in a white Ralph Lauren wedding gown with a long train,...

Actor-director Ben Affleck and actress-singer Jennifer Lopez have furthered their relationship. The couple celebrated their wedding with a ceremony in Georgia in front of friends and family, just over a month after saying “I do” in Las Vegas, reports People magazine.

Some stars in attendance included Affleck’s long time friends Matt Damon and his wife Luciana, director Kevin Smith and his wife, Jennifer, Clerks actor Jason Mewes and his wife, Jordan Monsanto, and top Hollywood talent agent Patrick Whitesell and his wife, model/actress Pia Miller.

According to People, Lopez wore a white Ralph Lauren gown with a long, flowing train and veil at Saturday’s ceremony, with Affleck in a tuxedo with a white jacket and black pants.

Photographs showed them walking down a white aisle followed by their children. Popular UK-Indian podcaster and life coach Jay Shetty officiated the ceremony.

Guests were photographed wearing all white on...