New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani tapped former Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chair Lina Khan to his transition team a few days ago. Khan, a Pakistani-origin UK-born Democrat, has in the past raised the ire of major companies and dealmakers with her uncompromising approach to antitrust cases. As per reports, Khan was born in the UK to Pakistani parents and moved to the US when she was 11.
Who Is Lina Khan?
Lina Khan served as Chair of the FTC from June 15, 2021, to January 20, 2025. She became the youngest person ever to lead the antitrust and consumer protection agency, taking charge at the age of 32 under former President Joe Biden.
According to the FTC website, Khan began her career in antitrust as a business reporter and researcher examining consolidation across markets. During her leadership at the FTC, she focused on exercising the full suite of the agency's statutory authorities. Her priority initiatives included tougher antitrust action, curbing non-compete clauses, protecting sensitive data and tackling illegal practices affecting affordable healthcare.
Before joining the FTC, Khan served as counsel to the US House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law. She was also an associate professor at Columbia Law School. She graduated from Williams College and Yale Law School.
What Will Be Lina Khan's Role In Mamdani's Team
Khan said in an interview with Pod Save America that she is examining the extent of mayoral powers as part of preparations for Mamdani taking office on January 1, 2026, reported Bloomberg.
She is advising the mayor-elect on economic policy and personnel, and said part of her role involves ensuring his administration can deliver on its extraordinarily ambitious agenda of making the city more affordable.
Why Has Lina Khan Been Such An Adversary For Big Tech
As FTC Chair under Biden, Khan brought major cases, sometimes unsuccessfully, against tech giants including Amazon, Meta Platforms and Microsoft. She was unsuccessful in attempting to block Microsoft's acquisition of video game giant Activision-Blizzard.
She barred mergers between grocery players Kroger and Albertsons and pushed for a ban on non-compete agreements that prevent workers from changing jobs, a widely popular rule that was later halted by federal courts.
According to Bloomberg, her work frustrated Wall Street and angered many billionaires, including LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, IAC chairman Barry Diller and venture capitalists Vinod Khosla, Peter Thiel and others. They accused her of “waging war” on business and “not helping America.”
While studying law at Yale Law School, Khan published the influential paper Amazon's Antitrust Paradox, in which she stated that Amazon used predatory pricing and evaded government scrutiny because “the consumers stayed unharmed.”
What Might Lina Khan's Appointment Signal For New York's Biggest Companies
Though Khan's city-level role may not involve direct oversight of Big Tech, Google, Meta and Amazon all maintain a significant presence in New York.
Eric Soufer, head of the advanced tech practice at Tusk Strategies, told The New York Post that some of these firms may see Mamdani's decision to work with Khan as a “shot across the bow.” Soufer added that many people “are going to have some sleepless nights early on,” at least until they hear from Lina Khan and the transition team about their plans.
