Mr. Robot firm sells stake to Laurene Powell Jobs

The US production company behind Robot and True Detective has sold a significant minority stake to the Emerson Collective, a company run by the widow of Steve Jobs.

Anonymous Content had been heavily tipped to sell a stake to Endemol Shine Group, but has instead revealed an agreement with social mobility-focused media group Emerson Collective.

Anonymous is best known in TV circles for USA Network’s Robot, Cinemax series The Knick and HBO crime drama True Detective, and has more than a dozen other series ordered for the coming year. It’s also behind Oscar-winning movies The Revenant and Spotlight.

The deal hands Emerson a seat on the Anonymous board, with the latter’s partners – CEO Steve Golin, Michael Sugar, Doug Wald, Eric Stern and Diane Janicki – continuing to the run the business.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, though Anonymous is estimated to be worth around US$200 million. The investment will be used across Anonymous’ film, TV, commercial, talent management and digital divisions.

There will be a “particular” focus on producing “socially-relevant content aimed at inspiring change”, which is core to Emerson Collective’s mission. This will likely to the companies working with artists and executives interested in “using the power of media to advance social change”.

“Emerson Collective shares our commitment to creating high-quality content that both entertains and inspires, and we are eager to help further their bold initiatives,” said Golin.

“Our partnership will expand opportunities for our clients and Anonymous Content to highlight issues of social justice and produce projects that can serve as agents of change.”

Laurene Powell Jobs founded Emerson Collective as an organisation focused on education, immigration reform, the environment and other social justice initiatives. It uses media to push its messages and campaigns, and is the lead investor in MACRO, which is a prodco focused on making content for African-American, Latino and multicultural markets.

Powell Jobs married the late Apple chief Steve Jobs in 1991, and since his passing in 2011 has overseen the Steven P. Jobs Trust, which is the largest shareholder in The Walt Disney Company.