MAGA Billionaire Makes $64B Bid for Label Behind Anti-Trump Rapper
April 7, 2026
The Daily Beast
Todd Rosenberg / Getty ImagesOne of Donald Trump’s billionaire backers just made an eye-watering bid to purchase the music label behind one of the president’s fiercest critics in the industry. Bill Ackman, an activist investor who donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican-aligned PACs during the 2024 election cycle, is looking to purchase Universal Music Group to the cool tune of 64 billion.
The label includes among its roster of artists Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican rapper who has consistently sparred with Trump over his administration’s immigration crackdown, and whose appearance at this year’s Super Bowl sparked something of a meltdown among the MAGA base. Other artists signed to the label include known Trump critics like Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Coldplay, along with other iconic household names like The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Elton John. Universal has an established reputation as one of the “big three” labels, alongside Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, and boasts a more than 30 percent share of the global records business. Read it at NYTRead more at The Daily Beast.
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