Who is controversial music manager Scooter Braun? Known for his rift with Taylor Swift, the pop mogul posted a cryptic tweet amid Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato exodus rumours

Aug 25 , 2023

Music executive Scooter Braun, left, appears with Justin Bieber at the World Premiere of Justin Bieber’s Believe in Los Angeles, in December 2013. Photo: Invision/AP

Scooter Braun, the music manager behind SB Projects, is no stranger to the headlines, having been caught up in a very public rift with Taylor Swift back in 2019 when he acquired Big Machine

He recently shared a cryptic tweet after rumours that Bieber would be parting ways with the entrepreneur, and previously sold his Ithaca Holdings company to Hybe, the company behind BTS

Well-known music manager Scooter Braun appears to have found himself in a bit of a firestorm. He seemed to offer a sly wink in a somewhat cryptic tweet posted on August 22 to his 3.5 million followers.

“Breaking news …. I’m no longer managing myself,” read the post.

The story began unfolding the previous week when Los Angeles-based Braun – who has been instrumental in the careers of the world’s biggest pop stars – was suddenly losing his clients.

It all started with rumours that Justin Bieber was decamping, according to AP. (The star was essentially discovered by Braun.) That seemed then to have led to even more attrition – Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato were also speculated to be jumping ship, states the same source.

If indeed Braun, 42, is losing his footing in the multibillion-dollar music industry, there may not be a lot of love lost. Despite his monumental success, Braun has also been something of a polarising figure, especially after his very public spat with Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift performs at Wango Tango, at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, in June 2019. Photo: AP

In June 2019, Braun spent US$330 million through his company Ithaca Holdings to acquire record label Big Machine, per MusicFeeds. The deal automatically gave Braun rights over Swift’s masters, meaning that the songstress would have to ask for permission, and pay a licensing fee, to play her own music in TV shows, films or ads, per Vox.

Swift immediately took to social media, rallied by her millions of fans, accusing Big Machine of betraying her and Braun of “incessant, manipulative bullying”. The rift persisted for a couple of years until Swift started re-recording her masters, ultimately trumping Braun.

Scooter Braun with BTS at the White House in June 2022. Photo: @scooterbraun/Instagram