Fictional Finances: Ari Gold from “Entourage”
Ari Gold is the power agent in the HBO hit “Entourage.” He is a heavy hitter, a shrewd dealer, and he knows how to play the Hollywood game. As a power agent he rakes in the money, at least when his clients are working. To stay on top, Ari has to follow the cardinal rule of Hollywood: You have to spend money to make money.
Ari Gold — Earnings Potential
Hollywood agents typically make 10 percent of value of the contracts and royalties that their clients bring in. This means that when Vince signs an acting contract worth $60,000, Ari gets $6,000, and when he signs a $5 million contract, Ari gets $500,000. This is why Ari prefers when his top clients take on big-budget studio film projects instead of low-paying theater and independent film projects. If Ari’s average client makes $1 million a year and he has 10-20 clients each year, then Ari has the potential to gross $1 million-$2 million a year.
Business Spending
Credit cards play an important role in a Hollywood agent’s life. Credit cards are used to track business expenses without having to deal with loose receipts. Ari uses credit cards when he picks up the tab for entertaining clients and for business lunches and dinners. Ari Gold also uses credit cards to pay for business related expenses such as transportation to location shoots, printing business cards, paying for hotel rooms and paying for gifts for his clients.
Personal Spending
Credit cards are not only used for deductible business expenses, but also they are used for non-deductible expenses that relate to doing business as a power agent. For example, since image is everything in Hollywood, Ari uses his credit cards to buy designer suits that average $2,000 a piece and to pay for trendy salon visits that can cost several hundred dollars a session. He uses credit cards to pay for other status symbol items such as designer office knickknacks and furniture, which range from several hundred to several thousand dollars each. Finally, don’t forget the bling. Ari’s jewelry and timepieces are top of the line and expensive.
Credit Cards and Ari Gold
In Hollywood, credit cards are the preferred currency. They allow players to quickly make purchases and to spend beyond their means. The type of credit card that a Hollywood player carries also adds to his image, as some exclusive credit cards are only offered to financial power players like Ari Gold.
