April 7, 2026

Universal Music Group, the entertainment giant behind acts such as Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Kendrick Lamar, has received a takeover offer estimated to be worth $64.3bn (£48bn).

US investment company Pershing Square is offering to buy Universal in a merger that would see the new company listed in America, its billionaire chief executive Bill Ackman said.

As well as representing a huge list of artists, the world’s largest music company also runs Abbey Road studios and owns labels such as EMI and Island Records.

Pershing Square, which already owns a stake in Universal, also has holdings in Google, Meta and Amazon, as well as Restaurant Brands International, which includes Burger King.

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Universal Music Group, the powerhouse behind Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Kendrick Lamar, is facing a $64.3 billion takeover bid from Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square in a deal that could yank the world’s biggest music company onto a U.S. listing. The giant behind Abbey Road and labels like EMI and Island sits at the center of a high-stakes merger push as Ackman touts its strength, artist roster and AI-era potential — a move that would reshape one of entertainment’s most valuable prizes.

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