WME has signed Raj Shamani, founder of Figuring Out Media and host of “Figuring Out with Raj Shamani,” for representation across all areas and territories outside India. The agency will work with Shamani as he expands his business and profile internationally.

Shamani launched the podcast in 2020. It has grown to 19.7 million subscribers as of writing, and ranks as the number one podcast on Spotify in India. Guests on the show have included French President Emmanuel Macron, Bill Gates, Andrew Huberman, Michael Phelps and Sunita Williams.

Shamani also grew Figuring Out Media from the podcast’s production team into a broader media and education business employing more than 120 people across content, distribution, investments and education. The company runs the “Figuring Out Academy,” which supports emerging creators building their own platforms.

“Where you are born should never determine what knowledge you have access to or how big you’re allowed to dream,” Shamani said. “I started in a small room in Indore, India, with no network and no access, and built Figuring Out on a simple belief: the world’s most valuable knowledge shouldn’t only belong to people who can get into the right rooms. We wanted to bring that access to everyone. I believe education-led media can help billions of people think better and build extraordinary lives. By joining forces with WME, we can take this mission to the world and build a truly global institution together.”

Shamani has delivered more than 200 keynote speeches across 26 countries, including at the United Nations Youth Assembly, the UK Houses of Parliament and the World Government Summit. He was named to Forbes India’s 30 Under 30 and the Fortune 40 Under 40 lists. His book, “Build, Don’t Talk,” was published by Penguin Random House in 2022.

The signing adds to a run of international creator and podcast additions to WME’s roster this year. In July, the agency signed Latin creator Alejo Igoa, a 120-million-subscriber YouTuber, for worldwide representation covering touring, media, brand partnerships and licensing. That signing followed WME’s addition of fashion creator Jayda Cheaves in June. 

WME has also built out infrastructure to support creators who own their own distribution: in October, the agency launched Creator Labs, a digital operations unit handling channel management and content syndication for clients, alongside an investment in video strategy firm Astra Media. Co-head of WME’s digital group Jad Dayeh has described the shift as a response to YouTube “deconstructing” the roles once held by a traditional network or distribution operation and putting them in creators’ hands.