Ted Forstmann working behind the scenes on William Morris-Endeavor merger

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UPDATE: Although Ted Forstmann has informally advised Ari Emanuel on Endeavor’s potential merger with William Morris, he has done so in his personal capacity and not in his role as chief executive of IMG. Today an IMG spokesman said that ‘IMG has absolutely nothing to do with any potential arrangement between Endeavor and William Morris.’

The ongoing merger drama between William Morris and Endeavor has an unexpected new player: investor Ted Forstmann.

A real-life “Master of the Universe” who found fame during the 1980s takeover battle over RJR Nabisco, Forstmann has been informally advising Endeavor partner Ari Emanuel on the deal that might create a newly combined Hollywood super-agency agency, one that would rival No. 1 CAA in revenue and the breadth of its client list.

“These are two guys who are old friends, and it’s entirely within the realm of reason that they would talk about something like this,” said Jim Gallagher, a spokesman for IMG, a sports, fashion and media marketing giant where Forstmann is chairman. Gallagher said Forstmann confirmed that he and Emanuel had discussed the deal often, along with other topics.

The connection is intriguing because of Forstmann’s past and the nature of IMG, which Forstmann’s private equity firm acquired for $750 million in 2004.

A veteran investor with a personal fortune estimated by Forbes at $1.5 billion, Forstmann shot to prominence during the Nabisco takeover war, when he was the cagey (and ultimately losing) rival to buyout king Henry Kravis. The battle was memorialized in the bestselling book “Barbarians at the Gate,” which led to the 1993 HBO movie.

IMG, meanwhile, plays a major role in both pro sports and high fashion, representing such celebrities as golfer Tiger Woods and super model Gisele Bundchen.

Forstmann’s informal role with Emanuel increases the tantalizing possibility that IMG could be involved in the newly combined William Morris-Endeavor entity in some way, potentially enhancing the new firm’s clout even further.

A spokesman for Endeavor wasn’t immediately available for comment.

-- Scott Collins