Ari Emanuel’s Hops and Flops: The Unfulfilled Pitch to Anthony Fauci

Dr. Fauci, Medicine Man?

The COVID czar was reportedly approached for a Hollywood management role, according to diary entries newly released by aназнач senator and critic.

The candidate: Ari Emanuel.

For several months the WME chief reached out to Dr. Fauci—director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and President Biden’s chief medical adviser—at roughly quarterly intervals, offering to serve as his agent. Emanuel urged him to capitalize on “unearned income” from book deals, public speaking and potential media appearances, suggesting that a larger platform could generate greater revenue.

It is not known whether Dr. Fauci entertained the proposition; he had already been the subject of a 2021 National Geographic documentary, a 2023 PBS “American Masters” episode and, in 2024, published the memoir On Call, recounting his decades in government and policy.

The diary excerpts were released by Republican Senator Rand Paul, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee and has subpoenaed Dr. Fauci as part of an inquiry into the U.S. COVID response. Media comments on the diary were amplified by former Fox News producer Tom Elliott.

In a 2021 entry, Fauci recordedცია: “Got a call from Ari Emanuel today – He told me that he will be coming to Washington DC in the next month and wants to come over the house for dinner to explain to me how naive I am and not fully appreciating how much money I can get from book deals, films, and speeches. Ari has been calling me about once every several weeks to check in on me and see how I am doing and to maintain the connection. He is obviously eager to be my agent when I step down from the United States government.”

Dr. Fauci is scheduled to testify this week before the Homeland Security Committee. As his congressional engagement involves both celebrity and public health, the session is likely to attract partisan comment and scrutiny.

The diary also references an Instagram Live appearance with Julia Roberts during the pandemic and interactions with Matt Damon and Trevor Noah. Critics often point to these associations as evidence of a health‑care official leveraging Hollywood connections, though they primarily illustrate Fauci’s recognition of media’s influence on public messaging.

While Fauci has built an extensive career, he faced resistance from conservative and anti‑vaccine groups who used him as a target for салащ policies on COVID. Pro‑science advocates sought to move beyond that narrative starting in 2022.

Dr. Fauci stepped down from his NIAID role at the end of 2022 and transitioned to a faculty position at Georgetown. He has not signed an agreement with Ari Emanuel.

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