More Details On Endeavor, Majority Owner Of WWE Parent Company TKO, Going Private

More information has emerged since Endeavor, the parent company to TKO Group, went private on Monday. According to this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Silver Lake, the majority stakeholder and private equity firm, supported this decision after a year-long plan that concluded this week. It was noted that the reason behind this significant move was Endeavor's belief that the stock market was undervaluing them. With this new transition, Endeavor will be known as WME, a reference to the company's previous name, William Morris Endeavor. The holding company describes this change as the largest take-private deal in the history of media and entertainment stocks.

Additionally, two familiar names will take on different roles at Endeavor/WME. Ari Emanuel, who previously served as the CEO of Endeavor, will now act as the Executive Chairman of WME Group. Emanuel, who founded Endeavor in 1995, is set to receive a $173.8 million cash payout from the sale and will also roll over his ownership interests, valued at $290.27 million, into the new privately held company, according to an SEC filing on Monday. Furthermore, Mark Shapiro will now serve as President and Managing Partner, stepping up from his previous role as President and Chief Operating Officer.

The company's share price in 2025 was roughly the same as when its stock debuted in 2021, despite the acquisition of WWE and the formation of TKO. According to the Wrestling Observer, the stock skyrocketed even though Endeavor owned the majority of the company. It cost $25 billion to buy out the existing stockholders, with offers to stockholders at $27.50 per share. With corporations like WWE and UFC under the umbrella of TKO, Wrestlenomics and the Wrestling Observer have stated that this new transition won't have much effect on WWE, even though Endeavor/WME owns 60 percent of TKO, which, as of this report, remains publicly traded.