McDonald’s has settled a $10 billion lawsuit by Byron Allen, who accused the company of racial bias by excluding Black-owned media from much of its advertising budget, Reuters reports. The settlement between McDonald’s and two of Allen’s companies, Entertainment Studios Networks and the Weather Group, was announced on June 13, 2025. Financial details have not been disclosed and McDonald’s denies any wrongdoing. Byron Allen’s lawsuit against McDonald’s Allen’s lawsuit claims that McDonald’s created a separate “African American tier” with significantly lower advertising budgets for Black-owned media. He argues that this
Byron Allen’s $10 billion lawsuit accusing McDonald’s of racial discrimination is heading to trial, following a federal judge’s ruling, according to Variety. The media mogul alleges that the fast-food giant denied advertising opportunities to his Black-owned media outlets while reserving substantial budgets for general-market advertising. Court Allows Jury to Decide United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin found sufficient grounds for the case to be heard by a jury. In his decision, he noted that this type of case benefits from a full hearing. Allen’s lawsuit claims that McDonald’s created
Byron Allen, the owner of Allen Media Group (AMG), has announced he plans to appeal a judge’s dismissal of his lawsuit against McDonald’s. The Lawsuits Allen first filed a $10 billion federal lawsuit against McDonald’s in 2021, alleging its advertising practices perpetuate racial stereotyping and violate civil rights laws at the federal and state levels. Allen then sued McDonald’s again in 2023, claiming the corporation had lied about its commitment to Black-owned media. In May 2023, Allen’s Entertainment Studios Networks Inc. and Weather Group LLC filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s seeking damages
