The truth is, for all of Elviss transcendent mystique, EPE has never been much of a business. Well, its a little early to ask that question. Really? Sillerman, a triathlete who loves vigorous games of volleyball and basketball, has recovered and now sports a yellow Livestrong bracelet. On Friday, the stock closed at 91 cents a share. And she had a great sense of humor., Here then are the terms of the deal between Sillerman and Lisa Presley: CKX paid $114 million for an 85% interest in Elvis Presley Enterprises; Lisa retains the other 15%. Then, Lisa says, the failure of the Elvis Presleys Memphis restaurant on Beale Street in 2003 made matters urgent. I suppose if you were a psychiatrist you could say I wanted to do well, where my father had had a lack of success, Sillerman says. S&P Index data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. Its easy to say that in hindsight, Sillerman told Billboard in a June 9, 2016article. Investor Robert Sillerman, who bought Elvis Presley Enterprises, photographed with Elvis impersonators, 2005. The prior owner, ex-HBO CEO Richard Plepler now founder and CEO of Eden Productions had once listed it for $18.5 million in 2008 after buying it for $2.33 million in 2002. In 2011, he sold that company for $512 million and tried his hand at commercial real estate with decidely less luck, defaulting on a loan from Credit Suisse equalling $21.4 million. We took on more debt than I felt comfortable with, she says. Mr. Sillerman gained control of the Presley estate. Former employees also interviewed by Billboard felt that the company did not do enough to leverage its scale, and that the company did not engage in centralization, leading to a lack of coordination between its collection of subsidiaries. Sillerman had no intention of consolidating the EDM industry before he met Paolo Moreno in January 2012, said Steven Feldman, a Hueston Hennigan LLP attorney representing Moreno and two other plaintiffs. Mr. Sillermans plan transformed the concert industry even as it drew complaints, which still linger, about rising ticket prices and the outsize power of a centralized super promoter. I have never had one single boring day., CKX has a 90-year lease on Elviss home.Richard Berkowitz Getty Images, Soden, who will continue running EPE in the new company, enhanced the Elvis business by expanding into merchandising and licensing. In 2000, the radio chain Clear Channel Communications bought SFX for $4.4 billion. Thats the whole game., Robert F.X. He also carried heavy personal pain after the suicide of his 18-year-old daughter Mackinley in 2012, losing his only child in the home he shared with his wife Laura Baudo Sillerman. As a business, though, Elvis has been stagnating. and attractions such as Memphis' Graceland to Robert Sillerman, . (Photo by PATRICK McMULLAN/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) Embed. Robert FX Sillerman (born 1949) is an American businessman and media entrepreneur. Beyond the lawsuit, questions have also been raised about the fundamentals of a business that some analysts said relied on what they deemed a cultural fad. Sillerman had bought Elvis Presley Enterprises from Lisa Marie Presley in 2005, but later sold it to a private equity firm. Unable to issue new debt without breaching bond covenants, SFX sold stock before the quarter's end to raise collateral that its banker, Barclays, had demanded in order to borrow from the companys credit line, a rainy day source of cash. Backstage at The Ed Sullivan Show, 1956: Elvis with the host and manager Parker (left).CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images. Raised in the Bronx, New. Now, after lying in the weeds for a few years and fighting and beating cancer, Sillerman is at it again, pulling together another media empire, whichthough Sillerman wont acknowledge that he has an endgame in mindhell ultimately look to sell for another big score. Robert F.X. What we wanted to do was to take this to another level. Lisa says that she, her mother, and Soden had spoken for years about bringing in outside investors and/or management, but nothing clicked. Clear Channel, which had already purchased many of Sillermans radio stations from Hicks Muse, agreed to buy SFX Entertainment for a reported $3 billion. SFX raised $260 million in its initial public offering. ), Sillerman with Rod Stewart and Dick Grasso at the NYSE.Henny Ray Abrams AFP/Getty Images. Robert Sillerman, founder of SFX Entertainment, has died, Billboard reports and Sillerman's lawyer Sanford Philip Rosen confirmed to Pitchfork. Sillerman. Sillerman announced in early June that he'd be making a return to the live entertainment industry, and today he made his second purchase toward that. The man who bought Elvis is Robert F.X. In the years following that tragic 2012 event, he was often treated as a cartoon villain in the media, trying for a third, fourth and even fifth act in business, and some say the death of his daughter hardened him to any criticism. Before 157 West 57th Street became One57, that glassy billionaire's priapism which has come to stand for a whole battery of class . We've received your submission. Elviss 37-year-old daughter and heir, Lisa Marie, has been unhappy that the business has been going nowhere: We were doing good, but you cant stay the same, she says. She also criticized the investors and analysts watching the company, saying they spent much of 2015 ignoring all indications that the Company was in a poor financial state and ignored key developments like a decision by Moodys to downgrade SFXs credit rating a development that under normal circumstances would be a significant red flag for investors. Some people loved Bob and some people hated him, there was no middle ground, said James Disco Donnie Estopinal, a New Orleansdance promoter now living in Puerto Ricowho served as Sillermans deal maker and helped bring in the dance promoters that would come to form the new SFX Entertainment. After the sale, Sillerman went on another buying spree, purchasing the rights to Graceland, the Elvis Presley Estate,Simon Fullers 19 Entertainment and an 80% stake in Muhammad Ali Enterprises. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. When Mr. Sillerman tried to corner the fractious world of dance music festivals in the early 2010s, for example, he played the part of a devil-may-care rebel to a sometimes puzzling extent. Mr. Sillermans marketing talents emerged early. Additionally, Robert FX Sillerman has had 6 past jobs including Founder at Live Nation. At that time it was very exciting, but the mergers didnt work in the U.S. in the way we thought they would, Finkel said. [37], In May 2012, Sillerman was accused of sexual harassment by an employee of Function X. Mr. Sillerman largely withdrew in recent years, moving to New Hampshire and dealing with the fallout from the collapse of several businesses. Improved top-line growth did little to stave off a panic from investors, who were troubled to see the company once again fall short of the profits it had promised. He just didnt a fabout anything, said one former business partner who did not want to share their name. Robert F.X. He wa The studio of course had a glass wall. "[9], On February 8, 2011, Sillerman announced an agreement to acquire control of Gateway Industries, Inc. (GWAY.PK). But Fuller had an even bigger idea, a kind of interactive on-air talent show. He sold the company in 1971, and then launched I P+E, a sales marketing and promotion company. As of December 2013, Viggle companies had a combined 17 million monthly users. Over a few years in the late 1990s, Mr. Sillerman and his new company, SFX Entertainment, spent more than $2 billion acquiring dozens of promoters and venues, creating the concert worlds first truly national force. Function (x) Founder Education Robert FX Sillerman studied at Brandeis University. What Sillerman bought was Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE), a company that gets its $40 million in annual revenue from Graceland tours, onsite retailing, and licensingeach contributing a bit less than a third of the totalwith the balance derived from an apartment complex and the Heartbreak Hotel. You either have to grow or go down. In other words, Elvis is a classic buying opportunity: The underlying fundamentals are sound, but current management has been unable to take the business to the next level. Sillerman was born on April 12, 1948 in Manhattan, New York, USA. In 2010, he re-emerged with a second strings-attached take-private bid, but CKXs board chose to sell the company to Apollo Global for $5.50 a share, a bruising result for investors. Lisa received $50 million in cash, plus $26 million in CKX common and preferred stock. Whether I will actually select one or more [equity partners] will depend on what the final price is, he said of any future bid. Think of how we can continue to expand the show, says Fuller. [38] The dispute was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. They acquired additional radio and TV stations, including WALL and WKGL (Middletown, New York); WJJB; (Hyde Park, New York); WHMP (Northampton, Massachusetts); WLOM (Orleans, Massachusetts); WRAN (Randolph, New Jersey); WPLR (New Haven, Connecticut) and the television station WATL (Atlanta). Steve Hicks left to join another radio venture after a few years, and in 1997, Sillerman sold SFX, which then owned some 70 radio stations, to Hicks Muse for $75 a share, or $2.1 billion. But the flattening rates for top acts may be symptomatic of demand, a signal that EDM more broadly is approaching a saturation pointand that pouring more money into creating more festivals, Sillermans plan all along, is not a viable strategy anymore. By the time Mr. Sillerman began buying radio stations in the late 1970s, he was using a new name: Robert F.X. Robert Francis Xavier Sillerman was born on April 12, 1948, in the Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale in a very typical, liberal, educated Jewish household, according to the 2011 book Ticket Masters: The Rise of the Concert Industry and How the Public Got Scalpedby Dean Budnick and Josh Baron, which secured an interview with Sillerman. This is a BETA experience. [2][3], Sillerman was born to a Jewish family in New York City, and was raised in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, the son of Estelle (Levande) and Michael McKinley Sillerman. . As his business world collapses around him, Sillerman seemed relatively relaxed over the phone. And the show garners the highest ad rates on network TV, between $660,000 and $705,000 for a 30-second spot, which is higher than CSI or Desperate Housewives. As his radio empire grew, Sillerman increasingly came up against Federal Communications Commission regulations restricting his ability to own multiple public broadcast stations, until 1996 and the passage of the Telecommunications Act, which lifted the restriction on owning multiple radio and television stations in a single market, paving the way for Sillermans firm to merge with Command Communicationsand become SFX Broadcasting. Robert F.X. I know nothing about EDM, Sillerman told Billboard in Sept. 2012. Its different, Sillerman says. (Photo credit: Jonas Roosens/AFP/Getty Images). In addition to concerts, Robert F.X. Brucie and Bob bought more stations and worked their magic on operations. This company owned "American Idol" and the licensing rights to Elvis Presley and his Graceland estate. Could it be that Sillerman didnt fully understand this--or just how skittish it would make brands? [25][26] Defaulting on a $10.8million loan after missing an interest payment of $3million in January 2016,[27][28] the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 1, 2016. [4] After graduating from the Collegiate School, he attended Brandeis University. Sillerman attempted to rebrand the project as a Baccarat Hotel but this also failed. But then to discount the price the way that it did was a self-fulfilling prophecy in that discouraged other bidders, which was unfortunate and had an implication on me and my financing., Established SFX festival events like Tomorrowland in Belgium attract thousands every year, but it's [+] unclear if newer events will have the same kind of draw. Sillerman and Shelly Finkel, his close associate and SFX's eventual vice chairman, hardly listened to the music but saw the opportunity in what they believed to be the millennial generations rock and roll. Their daughter, Mackinley, died in 2012. But the company had no serious strategy, a former employee told Billboard at the time, and Sillermans frequent misrepresentations angered investors, including a plan to take the company private in May 2015 that collapsed when it became clear that Sillerman didnt have the $700 million needed to finance the deal. In her ruling, McMahon said the buyout offer was likely made to distract attention from the companys poor quarterly financial reports, which showed that SFX was bleeding money and attendance at its events dropping. That seemed to sum everything up., A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. It declared bankruptcy in 2016, and many of the assets it had amassed were sold off. 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F Former SFX Entertainment founder Robert Sillerman has agreed to pay a $179,000 fine after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged the businessman with fraud for illegally. His plan was to spend $1 billion to buy EDM-related companies around the world, telling FORBES in 2012: If we do this with the right people this will be bigger than the first SFX.. Striking a deal shouldnt be that difficult. So he offered investors a lower price, $12 a share, and the sale was extended even longer. How Trust In Institutions Determines COVID Vaccination Rates In The EU, Clubhouses Future Depends On Data - How To Build A TikTok Like Algorithm. Just ask the makers of the smash-hit movie Lilo and Stitch, who used an Elvis soundtrack to great success. Didnt work. Okay, so come on, Bob, what does F.X. Bob went out and taught salespeople; I taught the on-air staff. Clear Channel had integration issues with SFX, according to one analyst, and now plans to spin off that business by early next year. Robert F.X. A costly restaurant venture in Memphis went bust. In September 2012, Sillerman announced his biggest project to date on the cover of Billboard, sporting a black leather jacket, a global-shaped disco ball and a handkerchief in his pocket that famously read FOff., Its a universal statement, Sillerman told Billboard writer Kerri Mason. The show is also being franchised in 100 countries. Robert F.X. What about a world champion Idol drawn from all the different nations? The show venue may be moved from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to save money (and perhaps to fill a certain 2,000-seat theater). Sillerman intends to buy more high-profile properties like these (think athletes and rock groups, for instanceSillerman is tightlipped about possible deals), find new ways to distribute them, and increase their value. Once on the Forbes 400 list, . Despite having established brands, the festivals that were acquired by Sillerman's empire collectively moved in the opposite direction of what was expected. And the King is content! And Fuller is looking to bring a gritty nighttime soap opera that is popular in Britain to America next summer. Industrial Media. He passed away in his sleep on Sunday at the age of 71. Eight years later he unloaded a bunch of stations to Hicks Muse for $2.1 billion. SFX now has a market capitalization of $88 million. This year, he agreed to pay a $179,000 fine to the Securities and Exchange Commission for defrauding investors of another of his companies, Function(x). Why? In 2017, he almost lost the home after defaulting on a $12.5 million. He doesnt want to mess with anything. The company acquired various promoters and electronic music festivals, as well as related companies in digital (including Beatportan electronic music store, online ticketing provider Paylogic, and web development agency Fame House). (A spokesman for Lisa Presley declined to comment. Former SFX Entertainment founder Robert Sillerman has agreed to pay a $179,000 fine after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged the businessman with fraud and illegally diverting fund Sillerman was the owner of a range of television and radio stations during the 1970s and 1980s, In 1993 he formed SFX Broadcasting, and then built SFX Entertainmenta concert and stage performance promoter that was sold to Clear Channel in 2000 for $4.4 billion. Yes, Elviss core fans are aging, but young people still are drawn to the man with the oversized Q-rating. 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