UMG chief Lucian Grainge hospitalised with COVID-19: Reports

Lucian Grainge, the most powerful man in the record business, has been hospitalised after contracting COVID-19, a respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus.

The Universal Music Group chairman and CEO is receiving treatment at Los Angeles’ UCLA Medical Center after testing positive to the disease, multiple U.S.-based media outlets are reporting.

The British executive’s medical situation is all the more worrying because he fell ill two weeks after he celebrated his 60th birthday party with captains of industry and a host of celebrities.

According to Variety, Apple CEO Tim Cook and veteran music manager Irving Azoff were among guests at the party, held at La Quinta’s Madison Club on Feb. 29 in Palm Springs.

Symptoms of the novel virus include a fever and can appear up to two weeks after initial infection.

A rep for UMG’s human resources department tells Billboard the company has been in touch with all employees who may have been in close contact with Grainge in the last fortnight.

Grainge is in charge of the world’s biggest music company, Universal Music Group, label home to Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Jay-Z, Justin Bieber and many more.

UMG is by far the biggest among the three majors. Late last year, Grainge orchestrated a sale of 10% in the company to Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings for €3 billion euros, valuing the company at Australian $54 billion.

Grainge was ranked No. 1 on the 2019 Billboard Power 100 chart and was selected as the Billboard executive of the decade.