Who is Ari Emanuel, who slammed Benjamin Netanyahu at a Jewish gala dinner? The Hollywood mogul, who owns UFC and WWE, said Israel’s PM is a ‘failure’, but has also called out Kanye West and Mel Gibson

Jun 1 , 2024

Fashion designer Sarah Staudinger (right) is married to Hollywood bigwig Ari Emanuel. Photo: @staud/Instagram

Emanuel’s entertainment agency Endeavor has represented big names like Oprah Winfrey, Martin Scorsese, Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg – he was even an agent to former US president Donald Trump

The 63-year-old millionaire inspired TV show Entourage’s character Ari Gold, played by Jeremy Piven, and his healthy habits include eating a strict vegan diet and taking daily live microbes

He’s a friend to presidents and agent to powerful Hollywood players including Oprah Winfrey and Mark Wahlberg … and his name is Ari Emanuel.

The boss of Endeavor, a media agency that owns the UFC and WWE, is considered one of the most influential and powerful men in Hollywood. So when he accepted an award from a Jewish organisation and used his speech to slam Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the incident naturally dominated headlines.

Emanuel is famous for speaking his mind and publicly calling out what he thinks is wrong. Here’s what you need to know about the 63-year-old.

What did Ari Emanuel just say about Benjamin Netanyahu?

Last week, Emanuel attended the gala dinner of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, a Jewish global human rights organisation, where he was presented with the humanitarian award. The Endeavor boss, who comes from a Jewish family with strong ties to Israel, slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his acceptance speech.

“Israel is being led not by a problem solver, but by a problem creator,” he said. “He is an agent of chaos and hatred and division and destruction. And enough is enough. Bibi Netanyahu is a failure.”

He added, “This is a painful and crucial moment for all of us who are Jews and who love Israel. It is not a moment to stay silent.”

His comments drew polarised reactions, with some audience members applauding his speech, while others walked out of the hotel where the event was being held. Attendees included TV producer Larry David, New England Patriots boss Robert Kraft, Wahlberg and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Emanuel’s comments came in the wake of the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel last year, which left around 1,200 Israelis and foreigners dead, and about 250 people kidnapped. Israel responded with military intervention, which has left more than 30,000 Palestinians dead, per Reuters.

Ari Emanuel’s celebrity connections

Donald Trump, Mike Pence and Ari Emanuel pose for a photo before their meeting at Trump International Golf Club. Photo: Getty Images

In 1995, Emanuel founded Endeavor, an entertainment and media agency, out of a small office above a burger joint, per Financial Times. He later went on to represent big names including Winfrey, Wahlberg, Martin Scorsese and Charlize Theron. At one point, he was former US president Donald Trump’s agent.