• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
The 2024 Best Employers in Sports Award winners have been announced! See the full list of winners

United Talent Agency Names Super Agent Rich Paul to Board of Directors

  • Klutch Sports Group CEO and founder Rich Paul has served as a long-time agent to LeBron James ESPN Doubles Down on WNBA Coverage,
  • Paul has launched opportunities for underprivileged communities through arts, education, sports and civic engagement.

Rich Paul, the CEO and founder of Klutch Sports Group and long-time agent of LeBron James, has been appointed to United Talent Agency’s board of directors.

Paul has headed UTA’s sports division and has been a UTA partner since the firm bought a “significant” stake in Klutch in July 2019.

The 38-year-old Paul founded Klutch in 2012 and has long served as an agent to James. At the time of the UTA investment, Paul had negotiated nearly $1 billion in contracts for a number of the NBA’s top athletes, which include Anthony Davis and Draymond Green. 

“Our association with Rich Paul has been a true bright spot since he partnered with us a year ago,” UTA CEO and Board member Jeremy Zimmer said in a release. “We were determined to come together and build a cutting edge, full-service representation arm for athletes, and are well on our way. Adding Rich to the Board gives us additional perspective and support as we strive to be the best company for all our colleagues and clients. Rich has a keen and unblinking eye for the truth of how we all win together.” 

Since joining forces with UTA, Klutch has expanded into professional football and baseball with acquisitions of Revolution Sports Agency and Tidal Sports Group, giving it significant weight in the NFL and MLB landscape.

In June, agent Omar Wilkes joined Klutch as the head of its basketball operations after eight years at Octagon. 

As his visibility as an agent has risen, Paul has launched opportunities for underprivileged communities. During the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago, he launched “Klutch Conversations,” which focuses on youth empowerment through arts, education, sports and civic engagement. 

Paul – who first connected with a high school-aged James as a 21-year-old through his throwback jersey business – was also the impetus behind reversing the rule which would have banned agents without a college degree from representing NCAA student-athletes, which has been colloquially dubbed the “Rich Paul Rule.”

“These are opportunities not often presented to Black men and women, so it comes with added responsibility to use my position not just to help drive a global business forward but to create more chances for people who look like me and face the same challenges I did,” Paul said in a statement. “My motivation is to help ensure all young people of color live up to their potential and succeed in the face of the systemic inequality that remains as real today as ever. I look forward to working with my UTA colleagues at all levels as a board member.”

Paul joins Zimmer, Co-Presidents David Kramer and Jay Sures, Chairman Jim Berkus, co-founder Peter Benedek, COO Andrew Thau, and senior agents Tracey Jacobs, Blair Kohan and Matt Rice on UTA’s board.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Mountain West Adds UC Davis, Wants Northern Illinois

The Aggies’ football team will stay in the FCS.
Tilman Fertitta

Rockets Owner Tilman Fertitta in Line for Trump Appointment, Wants to Buy..

Fertitta had given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Trump.

NBA Cup TV Ratings Down 10% Through Group Play

The NBA has faced stiff competition from other sports.

BYU Secures No. 1 2026 Hoops Recruit With $7 Million NIL Deal

Dybantsa chose BYU over UNC, Kansas, and Alabama.

Featured Today

Nov 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Detailed view of a Wilson NBA basketball held by a referee during the second half between the Utah Jazz against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena

‘Obvious Weak Point’: Refs Remain an NBA Gambling Concern

A season after Jontay Porter, the biggest risk may not be players.
Nov 2, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines cheerleader runs with a flag before the game against the Oregon Ducks at Michigan Stadium.
opinion
December 7, 2024

College Football’s Billionaire Backer Era Begins

Is this the new normal in CFB recruiting?
LA Galaxy forward Dejan Joveljic (9) celebrates with midfielder Riqui Puig (10) after scoring a goal against Seattle Sounders FC in the second half in the 2024 MLS Cup Western Conference Final match at Dignity Health Sports Park
December 6, 2024

With or Without Messi, Major League Soccer Is Barreling Into the Future

After the Cup final, the league looks to accelerate its growth.
Dec 18, 2022; Lusail, Qatar; FIFA president Gianni Infantino claps during the awards ceremony after the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium.
December 2, 2024

FIFA Wants More Matches. Resistance Is Growing Inside the Global Soccer World

Resentment and frustration over expanded schedules is nearing a breaking point.
Dec 1, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters (L) talks with Commanders owner Josh Harris (R) on the field prior to the game against the Tennessee Titans at Northwest Stadium.

CEO Leaves $13 Billion Soup Company to Run Commanders

The new president will lead the planning and development of the team’s stadium.
November 15, 2024

Adam Silver Defends NBA Product Amid Sluggish Ratings

Silver said the NBA compares itself to “the biggest brands in the world.”
LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan after the final round of golf during the CME Group Tour Championship at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla., Sunday, November 19, 2023.
December 2, 2024

LPGA Commissioner Leaving After Brief Up-and-Down Tenure

Mollie Marcoux Samaan was hired in 2021.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
November 11, 2024

Endeavor to Sell OpenBet, IMG Arena to Its CEO Ari Emanuel

The move is “a necessary step” as Endeavor seeks to go private.
May 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves minority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez look on in the second half against the Dallas Mavericks during game one of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center.
October 23, 2024

A-Rod, Lore Deposit $940M As Wolves Ownership Hearing Nears

Rodriguez and Lore made a large escrow deposit in advance of a key upcoming arbitration hearing.
October 22, 2024

Dude Perfect CEO’s Task: Make the Dudes a Media Company

Dude Perfect’s new CEO wants fans to be able to experience the brand in person.
Feb 13, 2023; Beverly Hills, CA, USA; Disney CEO Bob Iger arrives at the 95th Oscars nominees luncheon at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023.
October 21, 2024

Bob Iger’s Successor Won’t Be Named Until 2026

Iger’s current contract expires at the end of 2026.