Lina Khan, known for her hardline stance on Big Tech and corporate consolidation, has stepped into a new political role after being named co-chair of Zohran Mamdani’s transition team. The move places the 35-year-old antitrust figure at the center of shaping economic policy and personnel decisions for an incoming administration that has promised sweeping changes around affordability.
Born in the United Kingdom to Pakistani parents, Khan moved to the United States at the age of 11. Her rise through the policy and legal world has been closely watched, particularly for how quickly she came to lead one of the country’s most powerful regulatory bodies. She served as chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from June 2021 to January 2025, becoming the youngest person ever to head the agency when she took office at 32 under former President Joe Biden.
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Khan’s early career focused on tracking market consolidation. She worked as a journalist and researcher before moving into policymaking roles, including serving as counsel to the House Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee. She later joined academia as an associate professor at Columbia Law School after completing her studies at Williams College and Yale Law School.
Her intellectual breakthrough came during her time at Yale Law School, where she wrote the widely discussed paper “Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox.” In it, she argued that Amazon was able to sidestep regulatory scrutiny despite engaging in practices like predatory pricing because consumers continued to benefit in the short term.
As FTC chair, Khan pushed to use the agency’s full legal authority, focusing on aggressive antitrust enforcement, limiting non-compete agreements, strengthening data privacy protections, and addressing practices that impact healthcare affordability. Her tenure was marked by high-profile legal battles with major technology firms including Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. Not all efforts succeeded, including her attempt to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
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Her approach drew sharp criticism from sections of Wall Street and prominent investors. Figures such as Reid Hoffman, Barry Diller, Vinod Khosla, and Peter Thiel openly pushed back, accusing her of being overly hostile to business and stifling innovation, as per the Bloomberg, cited by NDTV.
Despite the pushback, Khan remained consistent in her regulatory philosophy. Under her leadership, the FTC also accused Amazon of penalizing sellers who listed products at lower prices on competing platforms, part of a broader effort to rein in what regulators described as anti-competitive conduct.
Now, as she transitions into a political advisory role, Khan is expected to help steer an agenda focused on making the city more affordable. Her appointment signals that the incoming administration may lean on her aggressive regulatory instincts as it looks to reshape economic policy.
In interviews and on social media, Khan has consistently underscored her view that strong oversight and carefully designed regulation are key to keeping markets fair, ensuring that competition works in the interest of everyday consumers rather than being skewed by dominant players.