Universal Music Chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge, who celebrated his 60th birthday in Palm Springs with key personalities attending two weeks ago, was tested positive for COVID-19, sending the event organizers frantically searching for the list of those who were present. Names like music manager Irving Azoff and Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue and CEO Tim Cook popped up in the list.
The birthday party took place at La Quinta's Madison Club, which is an exclusive place of private residences with a golf course. It should be noted that the communal facilities at the Madison Club have been shut down after Grainge testing positive, including the golf course and the clubhouse.
Apple's top officials at high risk
There are other celebrities such as Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Rande Gerber, Cindy Crawford, Sylvester Stallone, Scooter Braun and Ray Romano who have been reported to have properties in the area.
Currently, Grainge is receiving treatment in Los Angeles, while Apple spokesperson and Azoff's representative declined to comment on the scenario reported Variety on Monday. Grainge is supposedly the employee that tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, March 13 and caused an evacuation of Universal Music Group's Santa Monica headquarters. Most of the employees had either gone home for the weekend or were working from home.
As reported by Variety, a memo obtained by the media house read:
"We have just been informed that there is a confirmed case of infection in an employee based in our 2220 Colorado Avenue offices. Accordingly, and out of an abundance of caution, we are immediately closing all of our Santa Monica offices, and all Santa Monica staff are required to work from home until further notice."
