that live events were a growth opportunity as the old distribution system ossified and that power and money would reside in the hands of creators and brands.
With the financial backing of private equity behemoth Silver Lake, Endeavor began its empire building campaign. In 2012, the Menlo Park firm invested $200 million in exchange for a 31% stake of the company, upping the ante two years later with $500 million more for an additional 20% stake. In 2016, Softbank invested $250 million for a 5% slice of Endeavor.
A day before the planned offering, however, Endeavor pulled the plug, citing unstable market conditions. The company and other agencies have also been squeezed by a year-long standoff with theAt once, gossip about internal strife and unhappy agents bolting for the door surfaced.“Most of the negative press in the past six months has been wrong,” said one top agent, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak.
Another high profile agent, Duncan Millership, a partner at WME who represented Hugh Jackman and Helena Bonham Carter, did announce that he had joined Anonymous Content as a manager, the same day the agency said it was letting go a number of its agents. In addition, he said, Endeavor is on the hook to pay about $1.9 billion in purchase obligations and guarantees through 2021, separate from its debt obligations, which include $650 million in principal and interest payments.
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