Former Trump antitrust chief joins Paramount after merger with rival

The head of the Justice Department’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division during President Trump’s first term, Makan Delrahim, joined Paramount Global on Thursday after the company merged with rival Skydance two months ago. 

Delrahim will serve as the company's chief legal officer, beginning on Oct. 6, and will oversee all “legal, regulatory, compliance and public policy matters,” including oversight of Paramount's government relations team. 

"We're thrilled to welcome Makan to the Paramount leadership team. His longstanding collaboration with the Skydance team gives him a unique perspective and provides a strong foundation for our work together as we pursue our vision for the future of Paramount,” Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison said in a statement. 

“Makan brings a strategic mindset and a strong track record of navigating complex, cross-sector challenges – qualities that will be instrumental as we shape the next chapter of Paramount and deliver sustained value to our investors, partners, and audiences,” Ellison added. 

Over the last few years, Delrahim has become one of Ellison’s closest advisers. 

After serving in the first Trump administration, Delrahim went to Latham & Watkins LLP, where he was a partner. The law firm provided legal counsel to Skydance during the Paramount acquisition process. The $8 billion merger was finalized in August. 

A pair of House Democrats, Reps. Frank Pallone Jr. (N.J.) and Jamie Raskin (Md.), launched an investigation into Paramount’s merger with Skydance, and how the two sides got approval from the Trump administration. 

Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to the president in early July to settle a lawsuit Trump filed against CBS News over a “60 Minutes” interview the news outlet did with former Vice President Harris. 

The two Democrats also expressed concern over “troubling” statements from Trump in July signaling that he expects to receive an additional $20 million in advertising and public service ad commitments from Skydance.

Democratic senators wrote to Paramount at the time, asking about "any arrangement under which you or Skydance will provide compensation, advertising, or promotional activities that in any way assist President Trump, his family, his presidential library, or other Administration officials?”

Paramount has denied that any side deal with the president exists.