Leading global alternative asset management firm TPG announced the formation of a new company that will acquire, invest behind, and build a diversified global business centered on talent management, representation, and adjacent verticals. Michel Pratte (former President of Boat Rocker Media) has been named CEO of the newly established company and Eric Taitz (former EVP of Corporate Development and Strategy at Boat Rocker) will serve as the company’s Chief Operating Officer.
In connection with this announcement, the company is making its first investment into Untitled Entertainment, a leading Hollywood talent management business with a 25-year track record representing many of the entertainment industry’s most successful and celebrated talent. And Untitled’s founding partners Jason Weinberg and Stephanie Simon, will each roll a significant financial interest into the new entity along with Untitled’s current majority owner, Boat Rocker. Weinberg and Simon will continue as co-CEOs and Partners leading Untitled.
TPG has significant experience investing across the entertainment, talent management, media, and music industries, with investments including Calm, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), DirecTV, Entertainment Partners, Fandom, Musixmatch, and Spotify. And TPG Growth, the middle market and growth equity platform of TPG, is funding the investment.
Latham & Watkins and Blakes, Cassels & Graydon served as legal counsel to TPG. Venable served as legal advisors to Jason Weinberg and Stephanie Simon. LionTree Advisors acted as financial advisor and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and Stikeman Elliott served as legal advisors to Boat Rocker.
KEY QUOTES:
“We see an opportunity to leverage TPG’s longstanding experience partnering with leading players in the space to create a talent representation company with the resources and capabilities to benefit managers and the talent they serve. Untitled has a strong reputation within the entertainment industry and an impressive roster of clients. Their team is an ideal first partner and we see a significant opportunity to scale the Company and ultimately collaborate across multiple complementary talent verticals with subsequent investments. Together with Michel, Jason, and Stephanie we have the right team in place to build an industry-leading company.”
- Jacqui Hawwa, a Business Unit Partner at TPG Growth
“As the broader entertainment industry continues to evolve, a more complex landscape means more opportunities than ever for ambitious talent and their representatives. The future of representation increasingly requires relentless proactivity combined with access to world-class tools that drive innovation and growth. This new Company will empower Untitled and a future group of complementary talent-centric businesses to harness the extraordinary talents of diverse clients on their journey to achieving their highest career ambitions. I look forward to building this Company with TPG, continuing my fifteen-plus year relationship with Boat Rocker, and working even more closely with Jason, Stephanie, Untitled Partners Evan Hainey, Elise Konialian, Jennifer Levine, Jason Newman, Alissa Vradenburg, and the entire Untitled team.”
- Michel Pratte
“The teams at TPG and Boat Rocker share our belief that scaled offerings are the future of talent management and together, we are focused on building a management and representation business with expanded resources for managers and their clients. With a broader ecosystem of relationships, shared services departments, better client management tools, and new avenues for collaboration, this partnership ushers in a new chapter for Untitled while maintaining the culture and mission that has guided us for many years. We are excited to build on Untitled’s strong momentum and for the many opportunities ahead.”
- Weinberg and Simon
