Ari Emanuel Ensnared in Joel Silver’s Feud with Canadian Billionaire
Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterIn 2019, Ari Emanuel tried to play peacemaker between producer Joel Silver and Silver’s financial backer, Daryl Katz.It did not work, and now Emanuel finds himself dragged into the bitter feud between the ex-partners.Silver, producer of “The Matrix” and “Lethal Weapon,” went into business with Katz, the pharmaceutical billionaire who owns the Edmonton Oilers, in 2015. But the relationship soured, and by 2019 Katz was accusing Silver of failing to meet his financial projections in part due to Silver’s colossal debts.Silver has accused Katz of reneging on their agreement, and of making “extortionate threats” and threatening to slash Silver’s salary from $7 million a year to $1 million.