Makan Delrahim (; born November 2, 1969) is an Iranian-American attorney and lobbyist. From 2017 to 2021, Delrahim served under President Donald Trump as Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice Antitrust Division.
Early life and education
Delrahim was born on November 2, 1969, in Tehran, Iran. His family are Persian Jews who immigrated to the United States in 1979. Like many other Iranian Jewish immigrants, Delrahim's family settled in Los Angeles, California. His father made a living operating a gas station outside of greater Los Angeles, which Delrahim once worked at part-time.
Delrahim initially struggled in elementary school because he did not speak English. Nevertheless, Delrahim excelled in his studies in high school, which allowed him to gain admission to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Delrahim graduated from UCLA in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in kinesiology, as well as a Specialization in Business/Economics.
Rather than pursue a career in kinesiology, Delrahim decided to become a lawyer, applying and gaining admission to the George Washington University Law School. Delrahim became a naturalized U.S. citizen while in law school, and graduated in 1995 with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. Delrahim later earned a Master of Science (M.S.) in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University in 2002.
Legal career
Early career
While in law school, Delrahim worked at the Office of Technology Transfer at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and on intellectual property (IP) issues at the Office of the United States Trade Representative. After law school, Delrahim joined Washington, D.C. law firm Patton Boggs.
In 1998, Delrahim became a counsel to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where he worked under chairman, Orrin Hatch. Delrahim has been described as a protégé of Hatch. During his period, Delrahim worked on intellectual property and antitrust issues, including patent reform and the then-ongoing investigation into Microsoft.
Delrahim later became the Chief of Staff and Chief Counsel of the Senate Judiciary Committee, serving in this capacity until his appointment to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2003. Jon Leibowitz, who would later serve under President Barack Obama as chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), worked with Delrahim during this period as a Democratic aide on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leibowitz later spoke favorably about Delrahim, stating that Delrahim displayed both creativity and pragmatism in this position.
Initial tenure at the DOJ Antitrust Division
From 2003 through 2005, Delrahim served under President George W. Bush as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ Antitrust Division. During his initial tenure at the Antitrust Division, Delrahim was tasked with overseeing the Division's International, Appellate and Policy sections, and also served as the Chairman of the Merger Working Group of the International Competition Network.
Delrahim later served as a commissioner on the bipartisan blue ribbon Antitrust Modernization Commission. At the Antitrust Modernization Commission, Delrahim served along with former Chiefs of the Antitrust Division, Sanford Litvack and John Shenefield, as well as ABA Antitrust Section Chair Jon Jacobson.
Post-Bush Administration
After leaving the Department of Justice, Delrahim joined the law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, in Los Angeles. He lobbied on behalf of clients such as Comcast, Google, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Johnson & Johnson, and Ultimate Fighting Championship.
In October 2016, Delrahim commented on AT&T's proposed $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner while appearing on Canada's Business News Network, saying "I don't see this as a major antitrust problem."
Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Division
Nomination
In March 2017, Trump announced his nomination of Delrahim as Assistant Attorney General for the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division. This role, which required U.S. Senate confirmation, entails overseeing criminal cartel enforcement as well as corporate mergers and acquisitions. In September 2017, he was approved 73–21 by the U.S. Senate. When he arrived on the job, he was reportedly gifted a hat with "Makan Antitrust Great Again" (a play on Delrahim's first name and "Make America Great Again") written on it by DOJ staff.