Ari Emanuel Discusses Trump, Musk, and New Memoir Roll the Calls
Hollywood superagent Ari Emanuel dropped Donald Trump as a client following the 2016 presidential election and managed tense high-society clashes with Elon Musk, according to revelations in his new memoir, "Roll the Calls," published on September 22, 2026. Emanuel, the executive chairman of WME and TKO Group Holdings, uses the book to chart his rise in the entertainment industry while detailing complex relationships with some of the world’s most polarizing figures.
From the Mailroom to Global Power Behind the WME and TKO Empire
“Roll the Calls” chronicles Emanuel’s trajectory from working in a mailroom to building an entertainment machine that now encompasses WME, the UFC, WWE, live theaters, and major ticketing operations. Across more than three decades in the industry, Emanuel has represented major cultural figures including Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift, Meghan Markle, Martin Scorsese, and Dwayne Johnson. USA Today notes that the memoir captures the relationships, rivalries, and absurdities he encountered while building his career.
Emanuel also details doing business within shades of gray alongside the de facto Saudi leader, Mohammed bin Salman, illustrating the global and political reach of modern talent management and sports conglomerates.
Political Divisions and High-Profile Clashes at Saint-Tropez Wedding
The intersection of business and politics forms a major thread of the memoir. Emanuel writes that he severed ties with Donald Trump after Trump won the presidency in 2016, citing disappointment with self-enrichment during his time in office. Yet, Emanuel maintains a close relationship with Elon Musk, whom he describes in the New Yorker Radio Hour interview with David Remnick as an “incredible human being.”
That relationship faced a severe test during Emanuel’s 2022 wedding to fashion designer Sarah Staudinger in Saint-Tropez. Comedian Larry David, who officiated the ceremony, engaged in a heated political argument with Musk in front of other guests. According to Emanuel’s account reported by USA Today, David cursed and yelled at Musk over his politics, calling him out for tweets about Democrats and demanding to know how he could vote Republican. Other guests had to intervene before the argument turned physical.
Behind-the-Scenes Battles in Hollywood Filmmaking
Beyond politics, the memoir offers a look at the friction points of major motion picture production. Emanuel recounts stepping in to protect director Martin Scorsese during the making of the 2006 film “The Departed.” Studio executives at Warner Bros. pushed back against an explicit scene featuring Jack Nicholson, fearing it crossed into pornography. Emanuel describes stepping in to lobby studio executive Alan Horn and smoothing over tensions on set so Scorsese could finish the critically acclaimed picture.
Additional anecdotes in the book include Mark Wahlberg’s alleged revenge on Harvey Weinstein and a missed opportunity involving Madonna, whom a director pitched for “American Beauty” against Emanuel’s advice.