TKO Group Holdings CEO Ari Emanuel experienced a substantial drop in his total compensation for 2024, yet he still received a considerable sum of $18.1 million for the year.
A recent SEC proxy filing from TKO, the parent entity of UFC and WWE, revealed details about the compensation packages for its top executives. This included figures for Emanuel and TKO President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro.
Emanuel`s 2024 compensation package, which included a $3 million base salary along with various bonuses, ultimately totaled $18.1 million. This represents a sharp decrease from the whopping $64.9 million he earned in 2023. The significant difference is largely attributed to Emanuel receiving substantial stock awards and overall bonuses tied to various transactions in the prior year, including a $20 million bonus specifically from the UFC.
For 2024, Emanuel`s compensation comprised his base salary, an annual financial performance bonus of just over $8.2 million, a discretionary qualitative bonus of $4.29 million, and an annual equity award valued at $2.5 million.
While Emanuel’s compensation in 2024 was lower than the previous year, he has still received massive payouts from other business activities. This includes $173.8 million when Endeavor (the talent agency turned entertainment conglomerate and TKO`s largest single shareholder) went private again, and a massive $308 million in 2021 when he helped lead Endeavor through its initial public offering, with the majority of that payout coming through stock awards.
In contrast, TKO President Mark Shapiro saw his compensation almost double between 2023 and 2024.
After earning $16.1 million in 2023, Shapiro`s total compensation reached $32 million in 2024. The primary driver for this significant increase was stock awards valued at over $19 million. This was in addition to his $4 million yearly salary and $8.2 million in bonuses unrelated to stock awards.
One interesting note from the filing is regarding Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Having joined the TKO board of directors after being represented by Endeavor and working with WWE for many years, he also received a significant amount in 2024 stock awards, totaling over $29 million.
