Who Will Buy Wasserman? Allies Weigh Options as Rivals Have Knives Out

The power manager is allegedly blaming Ari Emanuel and other rivals for fueling some of the outrage over his Ghislaine Maxwell emails and inducing a surprise sale. But who will jump in now? Casey Wasserman Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment A major power shift hit Hollywood late Friday when Casey Wasserman told his 4,000 employees in a bombshell memo he’d be selling off his eponymous management firm after a week of growing criticism over his inclusion in the Epstein files. Now there could be an M&A frenzy in the works as prospective buyers plot ways to carve up his representation empire. Big questions are ahead: Will the mogul plan on selling the company whole? Or would he make deals for individual divisions piecemeal? Wasserman, founded in 2002, is a sprawling roll-up of boutique marketing arms, a powerhouse sports unit, a music division, a speakers branch and a creators department. Until only a few years ago, when it made a change to unify its branding under the single name of its founder, the Westwood-based company operated as a constellation of brands under its “Team Wass” billing. “But it’s never been one company,” one source says. “It’s never been a team or cohesive.” Related Stories Business Providence Equity in Support of Wasserman Agency Sale: "We Remain Fully Committed" Music Casey Wasserman Will Sell Agency After Epstein Files Controversy: "I Have Become a Distraction" One top music executive tells The Hollywood Reporter it’s plausible that a major talent agency could make a play for the whole business depending on a look at the company’s books. But another live music executive says that a buyer would find Wasserman’s U.K. music division a desirable asset for them if the mogul decided to sell off departments individually. Other sources believe that piecemeal approach could be a more realistic option given the company’s disparate collection of assets. A source close to the agency says Bruin Capital’s George Pyne has expressed interest in an acquisition, as has sports investment firm Arctos, which itself was acquired by private equity giant KKR this month. François-Henri Pinault, who bought a majority stake in CAA in 2023 in a blockbuster deal valued at $7 billion, was said to be discussing the matter with CAA management over the weekend, the source says. A rep for CAA declined comment. The past week marked the culmination of a PR crisis for Wasserman, who had lost the confidence of many of his agents and clients in the wake of the scandal. Several sources told THR that even after his apology for 2003 suggestive emails to Ghislaine Maxwell, agents had encouraged some of their clients to post publicly abut the scandal to put more pressure on Wasserman. Wasserman himself is said to have complained to friends that the campaign against him has not been entirely organic. A source tells THR that the mogul believes much of the outrage in the past two weeks has been fomented and stirred by rival agencies looking to undermine him and poach his clients. In particular, Wasserman is said to have special ire for fellow Hollywood powerbroker Ari Emanuel, a decades-long rival from the time he ran day-to-day at WME. “The two of them can’t be in a room with each other,” says a mutual friend. (WME Group has been run by Christian Muirhead and Richard Weitz since 2022, while Emanuel holds the executive chairman title.) One such tense moment occurred in August 2024, when star Wasserman client Billie Eilish, who was reportedly upset after a scathing report in The Daily Mail detailing allegations of Wasserman’s “serial cheating” with subordinates at his firm, left for WME. Wasserman criticized the Mail, saying at the time that “If The Daily Mail qualifies as reporting, then I guess we’re all in trouble.” (For her part, Eilish actually never commented on the saga. It’s been a matter of internal debate if the tawdry allegations really spurred her move — or whether Eilish was just eager for a pretext to change representation.) Wasserman is said to have privately blamed Emanuel for inducing her ill-timed jump. Even amidst the drama, Ari and Casey remain in business together. Emanuel is the CEO of WWE and UFC owner TKO Group Holdings, which also owns On Location Experiences, the official hospitality provider of the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games chaired by Wasserman. “Casey and his team have been extraordinary partners on the premium hospitality planning for LA28 and his vision for the games is coming to life by the day,” said TKO president Mark Shapiro in a statement to THR. “We’re committed to our relationship and staying focused on our important work together.” An insider close to Wasserman pushes back on the claim that he’s blaming Emanuel, saying that Casey is “aware of the noise but would