Michael Rapino, President and CEO of Live Nation
Michael Rapino has led Live Nation Entertainment as the Chief Executive Officer and President since 2005. His leadership has helped transform Live Nation into the top live entertainment brand in the world, with operations in 40+ countries and an annual revenue of more than $10 billion. In 2010, he oversaw the merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster to become Live Nation Entertainment. In addition to leading Live Nation, Rapino is a member of the Board of Directors at Sirius XM Holdings.
Originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Rapino completed his formal education at Lakehead University in Canada. He then spent ten years at Labatt's Breweries of Canada in various marketing and entertainment roles. At Live Nation, Rapino led several divisions, including European Music and Live Nation International Music, before becoming President and CEO of the company in 2005.
Part of Rapino's strategy in growing Live Nation has involved developing and nurturing partnerships. The company has invested in top music festivals, such as Insomniac, Electric Daisy Carnival, and Lollapalooza under his leadership. In 2017, he led the acquisition of Salt Lake City-based United Concerts, Napa's Bottlerock Festival, and Blue Note Entertainment in Israel. Also in 2017, Rapino reached out to Frank Productions, an independent concert promoter, to discuss a partnership. The following year, Frank Productions sold their majority interest to Live Nation.
Rapino also oversaw the company's investment in RedRock Entertainment Services. RedRock is a production company focused on large scale, live events and special projects. Live Nation has also nurtured relationships with major artists like Taylor Swift and Jay-Z, who both signed deals with the company to manage their tours during Rapino's tenure.
In 2016, Rapino helped launch Live Nation Productions, a film and television division of Live Nation. The studio is dedicated to telling music-driven stories to audiences worldwide and expanding the abilities of the Live Nation brand. Through Live Nation Productions, Rapino has served as executive producer on several projects, including the Imagine Dragons documentary, “Believer,” “Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids,” and 2019 Golden Globe Nominee “A Star is Born.” “A Star is Born” earned over $200 million globally in its first three weeks in theaters, and earned clout for the studio in Hollywood.
Rapino has been recognized by several publications for his career achievements. He was named No. 1 on the Billboard Power 100 in 2018 and listed on the Los Angeles Business Journal's LA 500 the same year. In 2017, he was named to the Forbes list of Global Game Changers, and the Variety500 list of the top business leaders in the entertainment industry. Despite his many accomplishments, Rapino's goal remains simple: help others experience the magic of live entertainment. For him, it's all about the live show: “... those two hours of magic when you're backstage and watching the production [or] watching the audience come to life.”
Michael Rapino resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Jolene, and their three sons.
View Live Nation's Leadership team.