UFC owner Ari Emanuel reaches billionaire status for first time

Another record-breaking year of revenue at the UFC helped lead TKO Group Holdings CEO Ari Emanuel to reach billionaire status for the first time in 2025.

Emanuel was added to the Bloomberg Billionaire index for his personal wealth after another massive year for the executive while serving as CEO over both TKO and Endeavor Group Holdings, which is the primary shareholder in the combined company with the UFC and WWE.

The biggest factor in the growth of his wealth more recently has been a whopping 48 percent increase in the share price for Endeavor Group Holdings, which originally started as a powerhouse talent agency representing some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Emanuel and his primary partner Patrick Whitesell eventually started expanding the business before spending just over $4 billion to purchase the UFC in 2016.

Emanuel eventually led the charge to take over WWE after obtaining a majority share in the professional wrestling outfit, which eventually led to company founder Vince McMahon exiting the organization amid a cloud of controversy following an explosive lawsuit filed against him with allegations of sexual assault, abuse and trafficking.

With McMahon gone, WWE has continued to flourish under Emanuel’s watchful eye with TKO stock has soared in recent months.

TKO is now valued at over $27 billion for the combined company with UFC, WWE and a few other pieces added in recent months, which includes Professional Bull Riders.

That has only continued to add to Emanuel’s own net worth with the 63-year-old executive personally holding a significant stake in the company.

After leading the charge to ink a huge 10 year, $5 billion deal for WWE to take Monday Night Raw to Netflix in 2025, Emanuel is now preparing for another significant negotiation with the UFC looking for a new broadcast rights deal that is expected to kick off in 2026 with the promotion reportedly seeking more than $1 billion per year — a sizeable increase from the current deal the UFC maintains with ESPN.