Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel banked nearly $85 million in 2023.
According to a proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ahead of an annual stockholders meeting scheduled for June, Emanuel netted $65 million for his role as one of the top executives for TKO Group Holdings, the publicly traded entity that currently houses both the Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Wrestling Entertainment under the same roof.
Per a report from Damon Martin of MMA Fighting, the breakdown includes $911,538 in prorated salary based on the merger date to the end of the fiscal year on September 12, 2023, along with a $24 million bonus and just over $40 million in stock rewards.
Emanual also took home a $20 million transaction bonus from UFC that “was not tied to achievement of any specified performance measure and, as such, is not included herein.”
Ari Emanuel wasn’t the only executive who brought home the bacon in 2023
Next on the list was TKO president and chief operating officer Mark Shapiro who made $16 million, including a $9 million bonus and more than $6 million in stock awards. Shapiro brought in another $22.77 million attributable to Endeavor, bringing his total 2023 take to more than $38 million.
Chief financial officer Andrew Schleimer earned more than $8.7 million, with a $5 million bonus and more than $3.1 million in stock awards.
Also reaping the benefits was WWE President and TKO Group board member Nick Khan who took home more than $32 million in total compensation, which included a $15 million bonus and more than $12 million in stock awards.
TKO Group will likely continue to see its profits skyrocket after the WWE closed a five-year, $10 billion deal to move its flagship show, Monday Night Raw, to Netflix starting in 2025.
The UFC will also return to the negotiating table as its broadcasting deal with ESPN is set to expire at the end of next year.
The initial deal with ESPN was for five years with the the cable sports network paying out $1.5 billion for the rights before being extended for an additional two years. Early reports suggest the UFC could double that amount with its next broadcasting deal after seeing a massive boom in business over the last several years.