Michael Rapino

PRESIDENT/CEO, LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT

It was a year of triumph and tragedy for Live Nation and Rapino, who guided the world’s largest concert promotion company through a historic financial comeback while cooperating with authorities looking into one of the worst tragedies in company history at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival. In the aftermath of the latter, Rapino has discussed with Scott the launch of a festival-safety initiative with the U.S. Conference of Mayors to identify new technologies to prevent similar situations. Rapino is also focused on leading Live Nation’s comeback during another year of uncertainty as the pandemic persists. Decisions early on to require vaccines or COVID-19 testing have persuaded governors in states like Florida and Texas to ease up on anti-mandatory vaccine laws, while more liberal municipalities have supported Live Nation festivals as far back as Lollapalooza last July in Chicago. For most of the year, the company’s most arresting story has been its stock rebound, as Live Nation is on track to end the year up 58% over 2020. The company will spend most of 2022 continuing its international expansion by completing the acquisition of Mexican promoter OCESA-CIE, which will offer access to opportunities in Latin America. What hasn’t changed is the number of ticketing competitors ready to chip away at its market share, but with a near 100% renewal rate with Ticketmaster clients, Rapino is unfazed by the latest would-be disrupters. “I worry about who our future competitors might be,” he recently said. “Not the ones chasing our business model.” FOR FELLOW 2022 BILLBOARD POWER LIST HONOREES, SEE PAGE 92.