Ari Emanuel‘s compensation for being CEO of TKO Group Holdings in 2024 totaled $18.1 million, a notable drop from the $64.9 million he took home in 2023.The latest figures were disclosed in an SEC proxy filing Friday afternoon.TKO, which owns the WWE and UFC, was formed via the merger of the two entities in 2023. Emanuel has led it as CEO due to the majority stake being held by his company, Endeavor Group Holdings, which acquired full control of the UFC in 2021. Last month, Endeavor was taken private by Silver Lake Partners.Even though Emanuel’s pay at TKO took a tumble last year, he has remained well-paid overall in recent years thanks to key transactions involving his empire. He received $173.8 million via the privatization of Endeavor, transitioning from CEO to executive chairman of the company, which has changed its name to WME Group. He also reaped $308 million in 2021 while steering the talent-agency-turned-conglomerate through its 2021 IPO, with most of the payday coming in the form of stock awards related to the offering.Mark Shapiro, President and COO of TKO, saw his total pay nearly double to $32 million from $16.1 million in 2023.Prior to Silver Lake taking Endeavor private, the company and TKO shuffled some assets between each other, with the Professional Bull Riders and sports-focused hospitality firm On Location now under the TKO roof.As TKO focuses in on sports, its main holdings are approaching lucrative media rights opportunities as interest continues in live sports on TV and streaming. The WWE, which just made a $5 billion deal with Netflix, is near the end of its streaming deal with NBCUniversal’s Peacock. The UFC, meanwhile, is in an exclusive negotiating window with Disney for rights to its pay-per-view events.
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