David Senra · Aug 9Founder of CAA Michael Ovitz: "I Just Knew I Was Going to Outwork Every One of Them"
Founded in 1974 against almost 200 rival agencies, it signed about one movie star a week and at one point repped 46 of the top 50 grossing filmmakers. Its model and values outlasted Ovitz, and it is as strong in 2026 as when he left. Every 90 days it ran a chairs-touching idea circle where nobody could pass.
Tips
- Michael Ovitz told doubters in 1974 he would simply outwork every rival agency▶ 33:08CAA is still as strong in 2026 as when he left, after 50 years in business.
- Ovitz mailed rivals a torn-out Variety ad for every movie star CAA signed▶ 33:17At one point CAA represented 46 of the top 50 grossing filmmakers, and he was still upset about the four he could not get.
- Ovitz built CAA's business model to outlast him and its successors kept the values▶ 10:27CAA is as strong in 2026 as when he was there, 50 years in business.
- Ovitz ran CAA on shared credit after learning from Magic Johnson's fast break▶ 27:57
- Ovitz tied 200 chairs together so every CAA employee had to pitch an idea▶ 44:44A mailroom employee pitched an idea about cable and was promoted to agent on the spot.
- Ovitz sought writers through a merger because they are the font of packaging▶ 32:39
