Though the origins of the phrase “May you live in interesting times” are murky, there is no doubt it endures, wielding triumph and tragedy like a double-edged sword. And we, today, certainly live in interesting times, as illustrated by the story of the 2025 acquisition of bluemedia by Wasserman, an events and talent management agency.
Dan Marx, content director for Wide-format Impressions, holds extensive knowledge of the graphic communications industry, resulting from more than three decades working across segments with business owners, equipment and materials developers, and thought leaders.
As a leading company that uses wide-format printing technology across its expansive events-focused offerings, bluemedia handled high-profile jobs, including the Super Bowl. Its work is now done under the banner of a Wasserman subsidiary, Wasserman Live.
According to news reports (1), on Feb. 13, 2026, Wasserman CEO Casey Wasserman announced he was stepping down as CEO and beginning the process of selling his agency, after having been linked, via “Epstein Files” documents released by the US Department of Justice, to Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
So, today, while the future of the Wasserman agency and its subsidiaries is unclear, there is little doubt that the reverberations of Epstein-related connections create significant risk to all involved in the broader Wasserman operation.
Doing Due Diligence
While the scenario described above can serve as a cautionary lesson in many things, for this column, it serves as a lesson in risk amid mergers and acquisitions. In the case of a business seller, says Mark Hahn, managing director at Graphic Arts Advisors, the deep research conducted by potential sellers is called “reverse due diligence.” The seller does what they can to identify any “red flags” that could lead to a crisis down the line.
Hanh says that in situations where a relatively small company (even at $100M annually) seeks to sell to a much larger company, that small company “typically doesn’t have the leverage to do rigorous reverse due diligence.” The size disparity gives the buyer the leverage during this period of discovery.
He believes mergers and acquisitions must take place on three fronts: money, strategy, and cultural or social fit. Interestingly, I would posit that the Casey Wasserman situation doesn’t really fall in any of the three. All must be considered within the due diligence process, and seemingly more. Still, Hahn concedes there is always the risk of unknown, unforeseen, even shocking news dropping unexpectedly, delivering interesting times, delivering deep business challenges.
An Easier Path to Research
To understand potential risk and its implications, Andy Paparozzi, chief economist at PRINTING United Alliance, advises companies to consider two things: the approximate damage an event would cause and the probability that it would occur. In this case, I would describe it as high damage/low probability, and until recently, a risk that could have been known by the seller.
Not all things can be known in advance. However, Paparozzi explains that A.I. tools have enabled companies to conduct more comprehensive research of, in this case, a potential buyer. He urges companies to learn as much as they can to gain the best possible understanding of who a potential partner (seller or buyer) might be.
Why Care?
Hahn says in some cases, sellers want to be free and clear of their businesses. They want to cash out and move on, leaving all responsibility to the buyer. So why should they care about this type of risk? I believe, emotionally and morally, a seller should care, particularly when their employees’ work continues.
Think of it this way: just because your child has grown up and left home doesn’t mean you no longer care about their well-being. You wish them a good life and a path away from risk. A business is no different.
(1) https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-casey-wasserman-ghislaine-maxwell-olympics-02bc53aa1b6fa6fecac47e3a31a29ef1
The Wider View: Living in Interesting Times
Though the origins of the phrase “May you live in interesting times” are murky, there is no doubt it endures, wielding triumph and tragedy like a double-edged sword. And we, today, certainly live in interesting times, as illustrated by the story of the 2025 acquisition of bluemedia by Wasserman, an events and talent management agency.
Dan Marx, content director for Wide-format Impressions, holds extensive knowledge of the graphic communications industry, resulting from more than three decades working across segments with business owners, equipment and materials developers, and thought leaders.
As a leading company that uses wide-format printing technology across its expansive events-focused offerings, bluemedia handled high-profile jobs, including the Super Bowl. Its work is now done under the banner of a Wasserman subsidiary, Wasserman Live.
According to news reports (1), on Feb. 13, 2026, Wasserman CEO Casey Wasserman announced he was stepping down as CEO and beginning the process of selling his agency, after having been linked, via “Epstein Files” documents released by the US Department of Justice, to Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
So, today, while the future of the Wasserman agency and its subsidiaries is unclear, there is little doubt that the reverberations of Epstein-related connections create significant risk to all involved in the broader Wasserman operation.
Doing Due Diligence
While the scenario described above can serve as a cautionary lesson in many things, for this column, it serves as a lesson in risk amid mergers and acquisitions. In the case of a business seller, says Mark Hahn, managing director at Graphic Arts Advisors, the deep research conducted by potential sellers is called “reverse due diligence.” The seller does what they can to identify any “red flags” that could lead to a crisis down the line.
Hanh says that in situations where a relatively small company (even at $100M annually) seeks to sell to a much larger company, that small company “typically doesn’t have the leverage to do rigorous reverse due diligence.” The size disparity gives the buyer the leverage during this period of discovery.
He believes mergers and acquisitions must take place on three fronts: money, strategy, and cultural or social fit. Interestingly, I would posit that the Casey Wasserman situation doesn’t really fall in any of the three. All must be considered within the due diligence process, and seemingly more. Still, Hahn concedes there is always the risk of unknown, unforeseen, even shocking news dropping unexpectedly, delivering interesting times, delivering deep business challenges.
An Easier Path to Research
To understand potential risk and its implications, Andy Paparozzi, chief economist at PRINTING United Alliance, advises companies to consider two things: the approximate damage an event would cause and the probability that it would occur. In this case, I would describe it as high damage/low probability, and until recently, a risk that could have been known by the seller.
Not all things can be known in advance. However, Paparozzi explains that A.I. tools have enabled companies to conduct more comprehensive research of, in this case, a potential buyer. He urges companies to learn as much as they can to gain the best possible understanding of who a potential partner (seller or buyer) might be.
Why Care?
Hahn says in some cases, sellers want to be free and clear of their businesses. They want to cash out and move on, leaving all responsibility to the buyer. So why should they care about this type of risk? I believe, emotionally and morally, a seller should care, particularly when their employees’ work continues.
Think of it this way: just because your child has grown up and left home doesn’t mean you no longer care about their well-being. You wish them a good life and a path away from risk. A business is no different.
(1) https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-casey-wasserman-ghislaine-maxwell-olympics-02bc53aa1b6fa6fecac47e3a31a29ef1
Dan Marx, Content Director for Wide-Format Impressions, holds extensive knowledge of the graphic communications industry, resulting from his more than three decades working closely with business owners, equipment and materials developers, and thought leaders.