Jeffrey Epstein wanted Fertitta planes & Joe Rogan. They all said no.
How DOJ's Epstein Files exposed this rancid UFC super fan's fantasies.
The hot political phrase in 2026 is “The Epstein Class.” Who knew our little corner in the fight forest would get dragged into this by Github and Reddit sleuths?
The DOJ’s half-baked release of Jeffrey Epstein files has created global chaos for what is now sarcastically known as The Epstein Class. Or, as we describe it at The MMA Draw, It’s a Big Club and You Ain’t In It. This has Hollywood currently tied up in knots.
When Ari Emanuel bought out UFC and WWE from Frank & Lorenzo Fertitta for $4 billion in 2016, it was clear that Hollywood politics would eventually permeate every nook and cranny of the fight business.
The power of TKO has boosted Ari Emanuel’s fortunes. His cunning ability to capitalize on his rivals’ failures is par excellence. One of those rivals, Casey Wasserman, had his damning email correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell released in the latest DOJ tranche.
Ari Emanuel, obsessed with settling old Hollywood scores, is probably gleeful about the Friday night bombshell from The Wall Street Journal and New York Times that Casey Wasserman is preparing to sell his talent agency.
24 hours earlier, Wasserman reportedly was hanging out with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Michael Rubin of Fanatics. Powerhouse Private Equity firm Providence is reportedly trying to keep the Wasserman talent agency afloat.
The on-again, off-again feud between Emanuel and Wasserman is fresh in the minds of Hollywood trade and tabloid publication readers.
The question today is how much longer Casey Wasserman can hold onto his leadership role for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The more important question is how quickly Ari Emanuel can gain control and/or oversight of those very same Olympics.
What does any of this have to do with fight sport?
If you haven’t learned your lesson about what TKO is — or how TKO functions — then perhaps a journey into The Epstein Files will give you a better understanding of how global politics became one interconnected cesspool.
TKO is an advertising agency first and foremost that functions both as a political mercenary and government contractor. UFC White House is the crystallization of fight business policy in 2026. Fans are no longer the primary customer.
Ari Emanuel gaining control of the LA 28 Olympic Games and the American boxing scene is his dream scenario. Grabbing influence and control of USA Boxing would be the cherry on top of this proverbial sundae. TKO’s $40 billion market cap may continue to swell in value (on paper).
The power of an individual being able to dream about grabbing control over the Olympics and boxing is simply intoxicating. As Mark Shapiro might say, think of the synergies!
Don’t shed any tears for former UFC owners Frank or Lorenzo Fertitta, however. They have been very busy successfully wheeling and dealing on big business ventures in their post-UFC business life (via Fiume Capital). A nice little slice of that lifestyle involves buying and selling used private planes. Very desirable planes.
DOJ-published Epstein e-mails revealed a plane broker claiming to have knowledge of gossip on the ground in Las Vegas. The casino tycoons were allegedly motivated to upgrade their fleet after cashing out for $4 billion to Emanuel. Jeffrey Epstein’s main pilot, Larry Visoski, was hot on the pursuit.
Epstein’s associates thought they smelled a big opportunity.
