Chief Executive, Universal Music Group
Grainge keeps the world’s largest recorded-music conglomerate riding high through the treacherous digital revolution. He is working with industry stakeholders to revamp the streaming economic model that in January of last year he said “undervalues” music labels and artists. Grainge bolstered his music publishing arm buying artist catalogs, resulting in ranking No. 1 on the Billboard publishing chart for the third-straight quarter last March. Universal distributes recorded music from Taylor Swift, K-pop sensation BTS, the “Encanto” soundtrack, Drake, The Weeknd and the Beatles catalog. The London-born executive was knighted in 2016 so he is officially “Sir Lucian Grainge.” He is based in Santa Monica.
YEARS ON LA500: 9
