Biden administration antitrust advisor Tim Wu leaves White House

A key architect of the Biden administration’s antitrust push to rein in the power of large corporations has left the White House.

Tim Wu has stepped down from his role as special assistant to the president for competition and tech policy and will return to his previous position as a professor at Columbia Law School.

His last day in the job was Dec. 4, which ended his 22-month tenure as special assistant to the president for competition and technology policy.

Wu was one of three senior political appointees leading the administration’s antitrust push, along with Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan and Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s antitrust division, Jonathan Kanter.

He was an author of a July 2021 executive order that demanded federal agencies work to increase competition across the economy.

In a note on Twitter, Wu said: “As everyone gets back to work this week, some personal news — this is my last week at the White House. It has been a terrific ride and we did more over the last 2 years than I would have imagined possible.”

He added: “It’s been a good run and we did more than I’d imagined possible but I’m leaving the White House and returning to family and academia.”

The New York Times first reported details of Wu’s departure.