American entertainment company that owns Ticketmaster, America's dominant ticketing system.
The Department of Justice brought an antitrust case alleging monopolisation of the live-entertainment industry. The company enlisted Mike Davis, a MAGA-connected adviser, and Kellyanne Conway, an alumna of the first Trump administration, to lobby for a favourable settlement. In early March 2026 Live Nation's boss met with Pam Bondi, Omeed Assefi (acting head of the antitrust division) and the White House counsel; the settlement was signed the same day. Although there is no evidence of a quid pro quo, Live Nation donated $500,000 to Trump's inauguration fund. The DoJ said the settlement would result in "more independent amphitheatres". Some states are reportedly planning to continue the fight.
I am professionally trained in computer science, which is to say (in all seriousness) that I am extremely poorly educated.