Actors Matthew McConaughey and Sir Michael Caine have struck arrangements with AI audio firm ElevenLabs in 2025 to create licensed, AI-generated renderings of their voices. McConaughey is also an investor in the New York-based startup and will use the technology to produce a Spanish-language edition of his newsletter “Lyrics of Livin'” in his own voice. Caine, 92, has joined ElevenLabs’ new Iconic Voice Marketplace, which permits companies and creative teams to request approval and license his voice for projects. The moves come as ElevenLabs announced a $100 million tender offer and a $6.6 billion valuation, underscoring rapid growth in voice-AI licensing.
Key Takeaways
- Matthew McConaughey has invested an undisclosed sum in ElevenLabs and will use its voice synthesis tech to launch a Spanish audio edition of his newsletter “Lyrics of Livin’.”
- Sir Michael Caine, age 92, has joined ElevenLabs’ Iconic Voice Marketplace to permit licensed commercial use of his voice for narration and other projects.
- ElevenLabs says the Iconic Voice Marketplace connects requesters with rights holders to formalize collaborations or licensing agreements.
- Last month ElevenLabs offered a $100 million tender that valued the company at $6.6 billion, double its Series C valuation earlier in 2025.
- The company reported more than 330 employees in 2025, up from about 70 a year earlier, reflecting rapid staffing growth.
- The marketplace catalog includes historic and celebrity voices such as Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland, John Wayne, Maya Angelou and others, aimed at ethical sourcing and licensing.
- Investors participating in the tender included Sequoia and Iconiq, with involvement from a16z, Smash Capital and World Innovation Lab.
Background
Voice synthesis and generative audio have accelerated since ElevenLabs was founded in 2022, moving from experimental tools into commercial products for creators and enterprises. That transition has prompted new questions about consent, rights clearance and compensation when reproducing recognizable voices. Performers, estates and rights holders increasingly seek explicit licensing frameworks to manage commercial uses of voice likenesses, while platforms develop technical and contractual guardrails.
ElevenLabs positioned its Iconic Voice Marketplace as a response to those challenges: a two-sided platform that links companies requesting a voice with the relevant rights holder or brand for approval and licensing. The marketplace’s roster spans living actors, historical figures and estates, reflecting both creative demand for distinctive narrators and the legal complexity of clearing famous voice likenesses. The company’s recent funding actions and headcount surge highlight investor appetite for scalable tools that standardize licensing workflows.
Main Event
In separate agreements disclosed in 2025, McConaughey agreed to work with ElevenLabs to reproduce his voice for selected uses and made a personal investment in the firm. He has collaborated with the startup since its launch in 2022 and is using the technology to produce a Spanish-language audio edition of his newsletter, expanding reach beyond English-speaking subscribers. The move illustrates how creators can monetize and internationalize their work using licensed voice synthesis.
Sir Michael Caine’s arrangement is centered on ElevenLabs’ Iconic Voice Marketplace. The platform enables companies and creative teams to request permission to use Caine’s voice for projects such as book narration, advertising or editorial audio; once a requester and rights holder agree, ElevenLabs’ tools formalize the technical and commercial terms. The company presented a short demo reel that uses an AI-generated version of Caine’s voice to showcase potential applications.
ElevenLabs described the marketplace as solving an ethical challenge by providing a route for authorized licensing rather than unregulated replication. CEO and co-founder Mati Staniszewski framed the marketplace as a way to expand opportunities for talent and studios while preserving control for rights holders. The company also highlighted an expanded celebrity roster available on the platform, spanning performers, historical figures and estates.
Analysis & Implications
Economically, licensed voice replication opens new revenue and distribution channels for performers and estates: a single approved model can be used across audiobooks, localization and advertising, creating scalable income streams without requiring the principal to be physically present. For creators like McConaughey, the technology offers faster, lower-cost localization—illustrated by the Spanish edition of his newsletter—while maintaining a measure of control via contractual licensing.
At the same time, the technology intensifies legal and ethical debates. Even with a marketplace model, questions remain about residuals, duration of rights, moral rights and how estates negotiate uses for deceased figures. Platforms that standardize licensing may reduce unauthorized uses, but they also concentrate technical capability in a small number of companies, raising competition and gatekeeping concerns for studios and independent creators.
From a policy perspective, regulators and industry bodies will likely scrutinize disclosure standards and consent documentation. Clear labeling of AI-generated audio, robust consent records and transparent royalty mechanisms will be central to building public trust. The involvement of high-profile actors and prominent investors adds urgency: as commercial scale increases, so does the potential impact of misuse or ambiguous licensing terms.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Company founding | 2022 |
| Tender offer | $100 million |
| Implied valuation (tender) | $6.6 billion |
| Employees (2025) | ~330 |
| Employees (2024) | ~70 |
These figures show rapid scaling: a roughly fivefold increase in headcount within a year and a significant valuation increase from early-2025 Series C levels to the $6.6 billion implied by the tender. Such growth signals investor confidence in the platform model for voice licensing, but it also raises questions about integration with existing content production pipelines and long-term unit economics.
Reactions & Quotes
ElevenLabs framed the move as an industry-first approach to ethically license famous voices, emphasizing partnerships with talent and rights holders. The company’s leadership presented the marketplace as a way to expand creative opportunities while maintaining oversight of who may use a given voice.
The marketplace demonstrates how AI can responsibly broaden opportunities for studios and talent while enhancing storytelling.
Mati Staniszewski, CEO & co‑founder, ElevenLabs (company statement)
McConaughey described the collaboration as a way to reach more listeners and keep the personal tone of his newsletter alive in a new language, positioning voice tech as an extension of creative expression rather than a replacement.
Using licensed voice models lets us share stories with new audiences while preserving the personal connection that voice brings.
Matthew McConaughey (statement)
Caine framed his participation as a way to help others tell stories, noting the technology’s potential to preserve and amplify voices rather than supplant human creativity. His involvement lends cultural cachet to the marketplace but also underscores public sensitivities around reproducing iconic voices.
Technology should celebrate, not replace, human artistry; licensing enables preservation and new storytelling opportunities.
Sir Michael Caine (statement)
Unconfirmed
- The exact monetary value of Matthew McConaughey’s personal investment in ElevenLabs has not been disclosed and remains unverified.
- Specific future commercial deals using Michael Caine’s licensed voice have not been publicly announced and are subject to individual approvals.
- Details about contract terms offered to estates or representatives for other listed voices have not been published in full.
Bottom Line
ElevenLabs’ deals with Matthew McConaughey and Sir Michael Caine mark a notable step toward mainstreaming licensed, AI-generated voice likenesses. The marketplace model aims to provide a controlled channel for commercial uses, potentially simplifying permissions while offering new revenue paths for talent and estates. However, rapid technological and valuation growth underscores the need for clear contractual standards, transparent disclosure and industry-wide best practices to protect performers and inform audiences.
For creators, the development offers practical benefits—localization, scalability and creative continuity—but also demands vigilance about terms and long-term rights. For policymakers and rights holders, these agreements will be an early test case for balancing innovation, compensation and the public interest as voice-AI moves from novelty to a standard production tool.