Following the
2003 NBA draft, Paul joined James as a part of his small inner circle, along with James' childhood friends
Maverick Carter and Randy Mims. In 2012, Paul, along with James, left Rose and Creative Artists Agency to start his own agency,
Klutch Sports Group. and replaced on an interim basis by associate head coach
Jay Triano for the rest of that season. This story later became part of a subsequent major report on Sarver, which led to his year-long suspension from the NBA and, afterward, Sarver's agreement to sell the Suns and
Phoenix Mercury to a new owner. In June 2019, Paul was featured on the
Sports Illustrated cover, which dubbed him "The King Maker". In July 2019,
United Talent Agency (UTA) said it had invested strategically in Klutch Sports Group and asked Paul to run its Sports division.
Jeremy Zimmer, United Talent Agency's
chief executive officer (CEO), said they took a "significant ownership" in Klutch, but Paul "maintains control as operator of his business". Neither Paul nor Zimmer wanted to disclose the value of the financial investment. Paul expanded the division's clients from 4 to 23. In August 2019, the
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) changed its regulations for agents, requiring them to hold a bachelor's degree. Called the "Rich Paul Rule" by the media, it was widely seen as a swipe at Paul for having not graduated from college and for working with a high school prospect
Darius Bazley who decided to work as an intern for
New Balance for a year before entering the
2019 NBA draft rather than attend
Syracuse or even enter the
NBA G League like he first planned to do. The NCAA later backed down from the regulation change. In July 2020, he was appointed to United Talent Agency's
board of directors.
GQ magazine named Paul "Power Broker of the Year" in its December–January 2020 issue. In April 2021, it was announced that Paul had partnered with former
Nike executives to form Adopt, a minority-owned marketing and creative agency that assists companies in the sports and wellness sector. The following month,
Isaac Chotiner of
The New Yorker wrote that Paul "is known for driving hard bargains for star clients, giving them new power in the N.B.A." New Balance asked Paul to collaborate on a new release of the
NB550 sneaker which went on sale in December 2021. In 2022, Paul joined the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) board of trustees. In May 2022, Paul, alongside
Bob Iger and
eBay, was part of a
consortium in a $263 million strategic investment led by
Peter Chernin's
The Chernin Group into the pop-culture collectibles company
Funko, taking a 25% stake between the four of them. Following this, Paul was appointed advisor to Funko's board of directors, helping the company to "expand its presence in the music and sports categories". Paul was fourth on
Forbes 2022 "World's Most Powerful Sports Agents" list. Paul and Noel eventually reached a settlement on January 11, 2023. Noel paid full commissions on a $5 million deal he signed in 2020 with the
New York Knicks and withdrew all legal proceedings afterward. In February 2023, Paul launched Klutch Athletics, a new sportswear brand in collaboration with New Balance. In April 2023, he was added to the board of directors of
Live Nation Entertainment. Paul wrote a book with Jesse Washington,
Lucky Me: A Memoir of Changing the Odds, published in October 2023. It was on
The New York Times best-seller list upon its release. In November 2023, Paul resigned from Funko's board of directors following a wave of departures, including CEO Brian Mariotti and other senior executives, as the company recorded a financial loss in the third quarter. In 2023,
Variety named Paul to its
Variety500 index for the fourth consecutive year as one of the most "influential business leaders shaping the global media industry". In March 2024,
Robinhood chose Klutch Sports Group to "serve as its agency of record for sports and entertainment partnerships", appointing Paul to be the company's strategic brand advisor. In the summer of 2024, Paul expanded his scope to Europe by working with co-founder and managing director Björn Bezemer of Representatives Of Outstanding Footballers (ROOF),
Germany's largest
soccer player agency. The German agency, which has 150 clients across the European "
Big Five", was initially acquired by United Talent Agency and integrated into Klutch Sports Group. Bezemer was appointed head of Klutch Global Football. == Personal life ==