2023 Impact 50: Noah Assad

CEO
Rimas Entertainment

It is no coincidence that Latin music’s monumental 2022 coincided with Noah Assad’s mammoth year. His company Rimas Entertainment, which serves as a booker, manager and record label, continues to grow and Assad’s success with his hands-on, in-house approach has influenced other major players in entertainment, including fellow honoree Isael Gutiérrez of Music VIP Entertainment.

“In my journey, there have been important people who have given me good advice. Noah [Assad], for example, and what he has done with Bad Bunny and his team has taught me how to negotiate favorably for your artists,” says Gutiérrez, who manages Mexican band Grupo Firme. “And not just with live shows, but also with labels and publishing.”

It’s remarkable what Assad has accomplished at only 33. He has managed Bad Bunny since 2016 and helped the Puerto Rican rapper set the record for the highest-grossing tour in a calendar year with a gargantuan haul of $435.4 million last year after making the jump from arenas to stadiums. Since signing with Assad in 2021, Karol G has ascended to superstardom and had a remarkable 2022 with her “$trip Love Tour” becoming the highest-grossing U.S. tour for a female Latin concert headliner.

“I give Noah and [Bad Bunny] all the credit in the world,” Jbeau Lewis, partner and agent at United Talent Agency who works with the reggaeton star, told Pollstar last fall. “They have such foresight and vision as to what they want to do. They’re always 10 steps ahead of everybody else.”

With such a vision, Assad couldn’t be contained to one market as the innovative executive recently launched Rimas Sports, a management agency for Latin athletes.

“In the music world we accomplished success by knowing how to develop talent, helping our clients reach their vision by catering to their unique needs,” Assad said in a statement. “This new venture is an expansion of that mission as we aim to bring greater representation to the Latin community in the world of sports.”

With an already impressive list of baseball and music clients, there seems to be no limit to the number of worlds Assad can conquer.