The financial chief for Madison Square Garden’s splashy latest Sphere arena in Las Vegas abruptly quit his job last week after facing an indignant bout of “yelling and screaming” from his billionaire boss James Dolan, The Post has learned.
Gautam Ranji — who had worked as chief financial officer at Dolan’s $2.3 billion, high-tech venue in Las Vegas for just 11 months — resigned from his job last Monday, indicating his last day can be Friday, Sphere Entertainment revealed in a securities filing late Friday.
Ranji’s exit was “not a results of any disagreement with the corporate’s independent auditors or any member of management on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial plan disclosure or internal controls,” the corporate said within the filing.
The filing didn’t elaborate, but in response to a source with knowledge, Ranji delivered his notice in the midst of a gathering with a handful of senior execs including Dolan, the bombastic owner of the Knicks.
The meeting had been called partly to prep for the corporate’s quarterly earnings presentation, which is slated for Wednesday, in response to insiders.
In keeping with a source with knowledge, Dolan was “yelling and screaming” at Ranji, who in response “calmly” left the room and gave his notice to the corporate’s general counsel.
“Gautam may be very calm and frequently can take it and roll with it,” said a source, who explained that the CFO had enough of Dolan’s hair-trigger temper.
Dolan, meanwhile, “is the consummate hammer,” the source added. “He treats everyone like a nail.”
Ranji — who had been the CFO of the Sphere, which also operates Madison Square Garden Networks, since last yr — declined to comment on Tuesday.
“They did a beautiful job burying the news,” said the source. “A CFO quitting lower than per week before earnings is unheard of.”
“The publicly filed 8K clearly outlines that his departure from the Company was not a results of any disagreement with the Company’s auditors or any member of management,” a Sphere Entertainment spokeswoman said.
Dolan’s empire has seen its fair proportion of exits recently.
Dolan has taken a hands-on role leading the Sphere since MSG Sphere President Lucas Watson left the corporate in February after he was hired the previous March.
Christina Spade, CEO of Dolan’s cable TV broadcaster AMC Networks, left the corporate last November after a three-month stint in the highest job.
She had been at the corporate in various roles since 2021.
MSG Sports President and CEO Andrew Lustgarten stepped down in September 2022 after 8 years at the corporate.
The Sphere is predicted to post a quarterly lack of $1.27 a share, in response to a survey of Wall Street analysts.
Revenues are expected to be $117.3 million, down a whopping 71% from the year-ago quarter.
Dolan, the billionaire cable TV scion who owns the Knicks, the Rangers, Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and other venues, shelled out greater than $2 billion to construct The Sphere — greater than $1 billion over budget.