Tim Leiweke, a partner at venue management and construction firm Oak View Group, has announced his departure from the company following charges by the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division for suspected bid-rigging related to the development of the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
On Wednesday, the Department of Justice announced that it has accused Leiweke of breaking Section 1 of the Sherman Act. If found guilty, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a fine of one million dollars. According to the indictment, the DOJ claims that Leiweke colluded with the CEO of competitor Legends Hospitality from February 2018 up until at least June 2024, regarding the construction of the Moody Center at the University of Texas.
Spokesperson for Mr. Leiweke asserts his innocence and plans to strongly contest these accusations. They argue that the Antitrust Division’s claims are legally and factually incorrect, and the case should not have been initiated. According to them, vertical business partnerships, such as the one proposed between OVG and Legends, are legal. The allegations disregard established legal precedent and attempt to penalize typical collaborative efforts that promote competition and serve the public interest. The Moody Center, which has delivered significant and lasting advantages to the University of Texas and Austin, is cited as evidence.
On Wednesday, it was announced that Tim Leiweke would move from his role as CEO to become Vice Chairman on OVG’s board of directors, but he will continue to be an owner in the company. In the meantime, Chris Granger, president of OVG360, has been appointed as interim CEO.
The aim is to maintain a clear and engaging tone while conveying the same information in simpler words.
According to the DOJ’s account, Leiweke informed several associates in September 2017 that Legends was competing for the new arena contract and aimed to make them retreat. He also mentioned he would find a solution to give their competitor some business. Later in November 2017, he expressed readiness to discuss with the competitor about not bidding and receiving certain subcontracts, but made clear that he had no intention of collaborating with them if they planned to bid on the arena project.
By February 2018, as stated by the DOJ, Leiweke struck a deal with the CEO of his rival company. In this agreement, the rival company agreed to withdraw from competing for the Arena Project, and in return, Leiweke promised that they would receive subcontracts for the Arena Project. As per the arrangement aimed at bid rigging, the competitor did not put forward a competitive bid for the Arena Project. Ultimately, OVG was the only qualified bidder and won the Arena Project.
As stated in the court filing, I manipulated a tender process to favor my own business, denying a public university and the general taxpayers the advantages of fair competition. In a release, I, as a person who’s been caught red-handed, was Abigail Slater, the head of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, emphasizing that such deceit will not go unpunished. The Antitrust Division and its enforcement partners remain committed to bringing executives like me, who game the system to dodge competition, to justice.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas expressed his viewpoint that “deceptive business tactics, as seen in this case, significantly hinder the American public’s ability to achieve the prosperity that our country’s founders envisioned.
Tim Leiweke established Oak View Group alongside industry heavyweight Irving Azoff back in 2015. Since then, this company has grown to be one of the leading venue development firms within the industry, with projects such as the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, and UBS Arena in New York under its belt. It’s worth noting that Leiweke has previously been connected to a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation in the live music sector. Emails he sent were part of the DOJ’s civil case against Live Nation last year. However, neither Leiweke nor Oak View Group were named as defendants in that lawsuit.
Oak View Group (OVG) and Legends both faced financial penalties totaling $16.5 million, without being directly accused of any misconduct in the Department of Justice’s indictment. A spokesperson for Legends did not provide an immediate comment when asked. On Wednesday, OVG stated that they fully cooperated with the Antitrust Division’s investigation and are satisfied to have settled this matter without any charges being filed against them, nor any admissions of guilt or wrongdoing.
In the announcement about the leadership shift at OVG, Leiweke referred to it as a “privilege beyond measure to assist in the establishment and management of OVG as it has blossomed into the exceptional, customer-focused company it is today.”
“Although I’m glad the company managed to clear up its Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigation without any charges or admissions, I don’t want my departure to overshadow the team’s achievements or divert attention from fulfilling our commitments to our partners,” Leiweke added. “Therefore, the Board and I agreed that this is the perfect moment to set in motion the succession plan we had already been working on and step down as CEO. In my new position as Vice Chairman of the Board and an OVG shareholder, I continue to be just as dedicated as ever to the company’s long-term prosperity, and I am confident that OVG, our partners, and customers are in capable hands with Chris and the rest of our outstanding leaders.
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2025-07-10 02:24