Silver Lake completed a $25bn takeover of Endeavor, resulting in CEO Ari Emanuel stepping down. The deal signals a significant shift in operational power to financiers, raising concerns over consolidated economic and political influence.

Silver Lake, a global technology investment firm, has finalized a $25-billion deal to take WME parent Endeavor private. The transaction restructures the media and entertainment assets as Endeavor transitions to private ownership, with several associated representation and content companies continuing under the WME Group banner.

Reports indicate that Silver Lake Management is in negotiations with Shore Capital Partners to merge their veterinary groups in a deal estimated at $8.6 billion. This consolidation move is part of a broader trend in the pet care industry that has raised concerns among lawmakers about reduced competition, increased service prices, and worsening labor conditions in veterinary care.

Silver Lake, a technology-focused private equity firm, has secured a controlling stake in talent agency Endeavor by acquiring 71% of its voting rights in a $13bn deal. This move follows previous high-profile acquisitions, such as that of software provider Qualtrics, and signals a deepening consolidation of economic power and influence over public and media narratives.

The OpenSecrets profile documents Silver Lake Partners' long-standing lobbying efforts, detailing annual lobbying totals from 1998 and activities in 2024. The report highlights the opaque use of dark money in political lobbying, raising concerns about corporate influence on democratic processes.

According to OpenSecrets data, Silver Lake Partners—associated with Silver Lake Management—spent $880,000 on federal lobbying in 2023. This significant expenditure highlights the firm's active engagement in political lobbying, raising concerns about the influence of corporate money on democratic processes.

A role‐play exercise presented by the NYU Stern Center for Business & Human Rights outlines Silver Lake’s need to assess its investment in SenseTime following the company’s addition to the U.S. Commerce Department’s Entity List for its alleged role in state surveillance in Xinjiang. The exercise directs Silver Lake’s investor relations and leadership teams to craft a statement that addresses both the placement of SenseTime on the Entity List and the firm’s broader human rights due diligence in its investment decision‐making.

Silver Lake’s involvement in funding SenseTime, a company whose technology is linked to mass surveillance in Xinjiang, has raised serious ethical questions. The investment indirectly supports repressive surveillance systems that have been used against the Uyghur minority, highlighting concerns about due diligence and human rights within its portfolio.

A report revealed that Silver Lake Management is linked to controversial practices, with a more than $1 billion investment in Motorola Solutions—which has sold over $22 million in products and services to the Atlanta Police Department since 2016—and an investment in Shadowbox Studios associated with encroaching on vital Atlanta forest land.

Silver Lake Partners reportedly spent $320,000 on lobbying activities in 2021, as detailed by OpenSecrets. This expenditure raises concerns about corporate influence on policy-making and democratic accountability.

In May 2018, Silver Lake participated in a $620 million funding round for SenseTime, an AI firm now linked to surveillance technology used by the Chinese government in Xinjiang. Critics contend that this investment indirectly supports state repression and human rights abuses.