Since the bombshell news of the end of Jeff Bezos’ marriage to MacKenzie Bezos dropped, the spotlight has shined brighter on one of the richest men in the world, bright enough to shine on several other characters in this extraordinary story. One of them is Patrick Whitesell, the former husband of Lauren Sanchez, the woman Jeff Bezos is dating after leaving his wife.
With his name firmly stuck in a story about the most expensive divorce of all time, there is plenty to know about Patrick Whitesell, and in this article, we cover everything there is to know about what he does, including details about his professional career since he graduated from college.
What Does Patrick Whitesell Do?
By now, we know you are pretty familiar with the name Patrick Whitesell. He has become one of the most searched names in the world after news broke that is ex-wife was dating Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, with many speculating that they were still married when this relationship began, prompting suggestions that Patrick was dumped because he had no ropes.
However, the truth couldn’t be farther away from that. Patrick Whitesell is in fact, an important and powerful individual, because he is the co-CEO of one of the biggest talent agencies in Hollywood, William Morris Endeavor.
His journey to the apex of talent representation in Hollywood began in 1990 after he graduated from Luther College, a private liberal arts college in Decorah, Iowa. He began working at InterTalent, in the mailroom of the talent agency. He spent two years working for the agency, acquiring experience in the talent management industry before he moved to United Talent Agency, where he became an agent.
His decision to pursue a career in the entertainment business is no surprise because he comes from a family with an extensive presence in the entertainment and sports business. He has five brothers, four of whom are members of professions whom Patrick represents. His brother, Christopher Whitesell is a writer, Jim Whitesell is a college basketball coach, and John Whitesell is a director. His fourth brother, Sean Whitesell, was a film and TV actor.
Patrick Whitesell was at United Talent Agency between 1992 and 1995 before he joined Creative Artists Agency, another major Hollywood talent agency, and began working in a higher position as the head of the talent department, working with the agency between 1995 and 2001.
In 2001, after six years working for CAA, he joined an upstart talent agency, Endeavor Talent Agency, a company that was launched in 1995 as a partner.
After eight years as a partner in the agency, Patrick Whitesell helped engineer a merger with William Morris Agency, a major Hollywood talent agency that had been in existence for more than a century.
Via the merger forming the new company, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME), Patrick Whitesell came co-CEO, alongside Ari Emanuel.
As a talent agent, Patrick Whitesell is the agent to a host of major Hollywood celebrities such as Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, and several others. Basically, if there is a major star in Hollywood, there is a strong chance his agency represents them.
As CEO of the mega-talent agency, he oversees a flock of company operations that include art fairs, model agencies, UFC, and the Miss Universe organization. Through his achievements in the business, he has been named to Fortune’s Businessperson of the Year list and one of the Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business.
Aside from being an agent, he is also an appointed member of the Governor’s California Film Commission and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Simply put, he is one of the most powerful men in Hollywood.
What is His Net Worth?
Being one of the most powerful men in Hollywood comes with its own financial reward, and as a result, Patrick Whitesell has a net worth of $440 million, according to Forbes Magazine in 2015, but a more recent analysis by the Celebrity Net Worth puts his fortune at $300 million.
According to the financial records released by the agency, Patrick earns $4 million a year in salary and owns a significant equity stake in the $10 billion net worth of William Morris Endeavors.
See Also: How Kevin O’Leary Achieved a Net Worth of $400 Million from Businesses and Investments
With such a fortune, Patrick Whitesell is by no means a poor man, but his wealth pales significantly beside that of Jeff Bezos, who has a net worth of $111 billion.
