Silver Lake Completes $25B Acquisition of Endeavor

Private equity firm Silver Lake has completed the acquisition of Endeavor, acquiring 100% of the outstanding shares they did not own. The deal was completed at a price point of $27.50 per share—resulting in a deal worth $25 billion.

That price represents a 55% premium over the company’s stock price before the acquisition was announced in October 2023. With this move, Endeavor is now a private company and its shares have been delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. As part of the move, the brand has been restructured and renamed WME Group.

The acquisition consolidates Endeavor’s portfolio under the WME Group name, which includes the WME talent agency, marketing agency 160over90, licensing firm IMG Licensing, and content producer Pantheon Media Group. The deal was backed by Silver Lake’s partners including Mubadala Investment Company, Michael Dell’s DFO Management, Goldman Sachs Asset management, and CPP Investments.

With WME Group now a private company, there have also been some leadership changes. Former CEO Ari Emanuel has transitioned to Executive Chairman. Mark Shapiro is now the President and Managing Partner who oversees daily operations alongside other senior leaders.

Silver Lake says it believes Endeavor’s growth potential across all realms of media including sports and entertainment will continue. The transition closes a chapter on Endeavor’s public company and positions Silver Lake as a major player in the entertainment industry in one of the largest transactions in the sector to date.

“This remarkable moment—and the even more exciting future it launches—is thanks first and foremost to Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell, and to the relentless and ambitious strategic vision they have shared for more than 20 years to build Endeavor into a global powerhouse across talent, brands, and IP spanning entertainment, media, and sports,” shares Egon Durban, Co-CEO and Managing Partner of Silver Lake.

“Silver Lake is proud and honored to be their partners since 2012 as they have continued to build the company. Over this period, revenue has grown by twentyfold. Silver Lake has previously invested on six separate occasions to support Endeavor and now, with this latest investment, it is the single largest position in our global portfolio.”