Encyclopedia · Biography
Makan Delrahim
American lawyer, former DOJ antitrust chief and media-company executive
Basic facts
- Full name
- Makan Delrahim
- Education
- University of California, Los Angeles, B.S.; George Washington University Law School, J.D.; Johns Hopkins University, M.S.
- Government service
- U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee counsel; DOJ Antitrust deputy assistant attorney general (2003–2005); White House deputy counsel (2017); Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division (2017–2021)
- Corporate service
- Latham & Watkins partner (after DOJ); Paramount chief legal officer (effective October 2025)
Makan Delrahim is an American lawyer who led the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division from September 2017 until January 2021. He previously served in the Senate Judiciary Committee, the George W. Bush administration’s Antitrust Division and President Donald Trump’s White House.
Education and early career
Delrahim graduated from UCLA, earned a law degree with honors at George Washington University and completed a master’s degree in biotechnology at Johns Hopkins University. He worked as counsel and chief counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, as well as for the U.S. Trade Representative and private firms.
Justice Department and White House
Delrahim served as a deputy assistant attorney general for antitrust issues in 2003–2005. He returned to federal service in 2017 as deputy White House counsel. Neil Gorsuch’s Senate questionnaire specifically records calls with Delrahim during the 2017 Supreme Court selection process. Trump nominated Delrahim to run the Justice Department Antitrust Division in March 2017; the Senate confirmed him September 27, 2017.
Antitrust enforcement
As antitrust chief from 2017–2021, Delrahim supervised merger review and antitrust litigation across major industries. The department’s 2017 challenge to AT&T’s proposed Time Warner merger ultimately failed in court; descriptions of Delrahim’s role should distinguish agency litigation, judicial rulings and unrelated presidential statements.
Subsequent legal and corporate work
After leaving the Justice Department, Delrahim became a partner at Latham & Watkins. In September 2025 Paramount Skydance announced his appointment as chief legal officer, effective October 6, 2025, responsible for legal and regulatory affairs. In March 2026 the National Association of Broadcasters announced his appointment to its television board.
References
Research compiled through November 12, 2026. Sources and historical roles are dated where known.