Who Owns Creative Artists Agency (CAA)?

Creative Artists Agency was formed in 1975 by five agents who left the William Morris Agency. Michael Ovitz, Ronald Meyer, Bill Haber, Michael S. Rosenfeld, and Rowland Perkins decided at a dinner to create their own agency. They were fired by William Morris before they could obtain financing. The five founders started CAA in a small office in Beverly Hills with limited resources.

Under Michael Ovitz's leadership, CAA revolutionized the talent agency business in the 1980s. Ovitz pioneered the concept of "packaging," where the agency would bundle multiple clients, such as a writer, director, and actors, and present them to a studio as a complete project. This approach gave CAA significant leverage in negotiations and allowed the agency to command fees from studios rather than just commissions from clients. By the late 1980s, CAA had become the dominant talent agency in Hollywood.

In 1989, CAA moved into its landmark headquarters in Century City, a building designed by I.M. Pei that became a symbol of the agency's power. The building's design, with its curved glass facade, was intended to project transparency and collaboration. Ovitz left CAA in 1995 to become president of MCA/Universal, a move that disrupted the agency's leadership. Ronald Meyer also departed, becoming president and COO of Universal Studios.

After Ovitz and Meyer's departures, a new generation of leaders emerged. Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane, and Richard Lovett gradually took control of the agency and stabilized its operations. Under their leadership, CAA expanded beyond film and television into music, digital media, and sports.

CAA branched into athlete representation in 2006, establishing CAA Sports. The division quickly became a major player, signing high-profile clients across football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer. CAA Sports benefited from the agency's existing relationships with brands and media companies, allowing athletes to pursue endorsement and media opportunities alongside their playing contracts.

In 2010, TPG made its first investment in CAA, acquiring a 35% stake. TPG became the majority owner in 2014 at a $1.1 billion valuation. Under TPG's ownership, CAA pursued aggressive expansion. In June 2022, CAA completed its acquisition of ICM Partners in a deal valued at $750 million. The ICM acquisition brought approximately 425 staffers and agents to CAA and added ICM Stellar Sports, which had a dominant position in soccer representation, to CAA's portfolio.

The ICM acquisition significantly expanded CAA's scale. By 2025, Forbes ranked CAA as the most valuable sports agency for the 10th consecutive time the publication had compiled the list, with $1.14 billion in maximum commissions, up 18% from three years earlier. The agency oversees an estimated $15.9 billion in team-sport playing contracts and $4.59 billion in non-playing contracts, including endorsements, coaching, and sports media groups.

In September 2023, Artemis acquired TPG's majority stake in CAA, valuing the agency at approximately $7 billion. The deal closed later that year. Bryan Lourd was named CEO, and the existing leadership team remained in place. The acquisition brought CAA into the Pinault family's portfolio of luxury, art, and sports assets.

CAA's client roster spans entertainment and sports. Entertainment clients have included Tom Cruise, Beyonce, and Salma Hayek Pinault, the wife of Francois-Henri Pinault. Sports clients include baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani, who signed a $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who signed a $330 million extension in March 2025.