Elon Musk has publicly promoted the upcoming memoir of Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, titled "Roll the Calls," potentially boosting its sales but risking backlash from Emanuel's more liberal associates. Musk's endorsement appeared on X, where he shared Emanuel's appeal for pre-orders with the caption, "Truth is better than fiction." He also reposted a promotional clip featuring Emanuel and client Bob Odenkirk.
Musk's support for Emanuel's book marks a rare instance of the tech mogul actively promoting another individual's literary work on social media. Previously, Musk notably endorsed Gad Saad's "Suicidal Empathy: Dying To Be Kind," which subsequently became a bestseller. He has also promoted a book by his mother, Maye Musk.
Emanuel's memoir, set to be released on Tuesday, features blurbs from prominent figures such as Rick Rubin, Walter Isaacson, Kara Swisher, and Arianna Huffington. However, Musk's involvement raises questions about how these individuals, many of whom hold more liberal political views, might react to sharing an endorsement platform with Musk, a figure often associated with controversial political stances.
A publishing source noted that Musk's endorsement can significantly impact book sales, citing the success of Saad's book. The source also speculated on the potential discomfort of Emanuel's other endorsers being aligned with Musk.
The New York Times published a review and a summary of key takeaways from the memoir on Sunday. According to the Times, Emanuel writes about dropping Donald Trump as a client when he took office, stating, "I tell him I’ve never dropped a client with such ease. And I tell him I didn’t vote for him." The memoir also touches upon Emanuel's relationships with conservative figures like UFC boss Dana White and Donald Trump, with the agent quoted as saying, "I can’t have beef with half my friends. I can’t hate half my country."
The Times' initial reporting also suggested that Emanuel's book omits details about his feud with Jeffrey Katzenberg, as well as mentions of CAA rival Bryan Lourd and studio heads like David Ellison. However, the newspaper later corrected a detail regarding Ellison's involvement in advising Emanuel on a potential acquisition of Warner Bros., a move not mentioned in the book.
Emanuel is scheduled to participate in a series of national Q&A events for the book, moderated by figures including Kara Swisher, David Axelrod, and Rachel Maddow.