After discovering one of the 21st century’s biggest pop acts, Justin Bieber, in the 2000s, 42-year-old Scooter Braun became ‘the defining music executive of the social media era, known for aggressive online cross-promotion between clients’, according to The New York Times. Over the years, Braun built himself up to be one of the most well-known managers in the music industry, having managed Hollywood’s A-list from the likes of Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, and many more.
While he’s still a mainstay in certain Hollywood circles, and was recently spotted at his rumoured romance Sydney Sweeney’s space-themed birthday party along with Glen Powell, Lauren Sanchez, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, Braun has reportedly severed ties with many of the stars he once worked with.
What happened? How and why did this music industry titan fall from grace? Here’s everything we know…
Who is Scooter Braun? How did he make his start in the music industry?
Scooter Braun is a 44-year-old talent manager to the Hollywood A-list. Braun got his start in the industry whilst he was studying at Emory University. The then-college student promoted parties at clubs around Atlanta. The events attracted high-profile guests like Usher and Ludacris. As Braun tells it, American rapper and record executive, Jermaine Dupri, approached him at an event and offered him the role of head of marketing at his label – So So Def. Braun accepted, left Emory without a degree, and that was that, according to The New Yorker.
In 2007, Braun founded SB Projects, his own entertainment and media company. His big break as a manager came when he discovered Bieber and signed him to his record label Raymond Braun Media Group, which he co-founded with singer Usher in 2008. Braun sold Ithaca Holdings, the parent company for his management business, SB Projects, to HYBE America for $1.05 billion in 2021, according to Variety.
Who are Scooter Braun’s clients?
Over the years, Scooter Braun has managed the likes of Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Kanye West, Usher, Karlie Kloss, Tori Kelly, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Black Eyed Peas, J Balvin ,Idina Menzel and Martin Garrix. Braun also bought the masters to Taylor Swift’s first six albums – which soon led to drama.
It’s unclear who remains on the talent managers roster. His company’s website lists ‘past and present’ clients without differentiating between the two groups. But one thing’s for sure – Taylor Swift and Scooter have definitely parted ways after years of butting heads over her music.
What did Scooter Braun do to Taylor Swift?
The history between the pair is a long sagabut in short: in 2019, Braun took the side of ex-client Kanye West in his famous beef with Taylor Swift before going on to purchase Swift’s former label, Big Machine Records (and thus the rights to six of her albums). Swift responded in a lengthy Tumblr post, writing, ‘My musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it. This is my worst case scenario.’
Whilst many think Taylor Swift was managed by Braun, that was never the case. Taylor left Big Machine Records (where she recorded her first six albums) in November 2018. On June 30 2019, it was announced that Braun’s media company, Ithaca Holdings, had acquired Borchetta’s Big Machine Label Group for $300 million. Through the deal, Braun also acquired Swift’s music catalog for her first six albums – meaning he’s in control of most of her work. Taylor was NOT happy about that, especially since she had been trying to buy back her own masters herself.
In August 2019, Taylor announced that she would officially be re-recording her albums during an appearance on Good Morning America.
Swift bought back the master recordings of her first six albums in May 2025, after acquiring them from Shamrock Capital, the investment firm that previously purchased them from Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2020. She announced the news in a letter to her fans, marking the first time she has owned her entire music catalogue outright.
Scooter Braun and Demi Lovato
In July 2023, Billboard broke the news that Lovato split from Braun’s ‘SB projects’. Variety later described the split as ‘amicable’ and one source close to the situation says it was time for Lovato to go in a new direction, even though she was thankful for her time with SB Projects.
Lovato signed with Braun and his SB Projects firm in 2019. Upon signing to SB Projects, Lovato shared on Instagram, ‘Dreams came true today for me…Couldn’t be happier, inspired and excited to begin this next chapter with you Scooter!!! Thank you for believing in me and for being apart of this new journey.’
Since their partnership, Lovato has been extremely loyal to Braun even supporting him during the Taylor Swift feud. The singer wrote on Instagram stories: ‘I have dealt with bad people in the industry and Scooter is not one of them. He’s a good man. Personally, I’m grateful he came into my life when he did. Please stop ‘dragging’ people or bullying them. There’s enough hate in this world as it is.’
Scooter Braun and Kanye West
Back in March of 2016, Kanye West split from his long-time manager Izzy Zivkovic and hired Scooter Braun. However, in 2018 the partnership came to an end. According to Page Six, West fired Braun, whereas TMZ and Billboard present the decision as Braun’s. A source told Billboard that the split was based on Kanye’s decision to ‘leave the traditional music business,’ and that the rapper wanted to take his entire business operation in-house instead of using an outside manager and legal team.
Scooter Braun and Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber was one of Braun’s first clients. After finding the 12-year-old singing sensation on YouTube Braun immediately got in contact. Although he didn’t have immediate success with major labels, Bieber grew into one of the world’s biggest pop stars. Braun told The New Yorker in 2012 that he pitched Bieber to Usher and Justin Timberlake. Both men were interested in signing the young singer. It was up to Bieber, who chose to be mentored by Usher and signed to Island Def Jam. And the rest was history!
US businessman Scooter Braun (L) and Canadian singer Justin Bieber arrive for YouTube Originals’ “Justin Bieber: Seasons” premiere at the Regency Bruin Theatre in Los Angeles on January 27, 2020. (Photo by LISA O’CONNOR / AFP) (Photo by LISA O’CONNOR/AFP via Getty Images)
In August 2023, news broke that Bieber was ending his business relationship with Braun. The pair struck a financial deal over show cancellations and unpaid commissions, with Bieber agreeing to give $31.5 million to his former manager. Bieber has since released two new albums, SWAG and SWAG II, where he has complete control.
Scooter Braun and Ariana Grande
Braun has also lost touch with Grande, who left his management in 2023. There are still a lot of conflicting reports. Sources close to the Grammy award-winning singer said she had departed, Billboard reported. According to rumours, Ariana let Braun go because the relationship was ‘not working out’.
Has Braun been involved in other controversies?
A lengthy 2022 Business Insider report alleged that Braun had built a reputation in the industry for falling out with former clients and being ruthlessly careerist. ‘I’ve never seen anyone burn so many bridges with so many people,’ one source told the writer Anna Silman. The singer Madison Beer reportedly had a difficult work experience with Braun after private images of her were leaked, with a source claiming that ‘as soon as something bad happened, [Braun] jumped ship’. The story also details the evolution of the working relationship between Braun and singer Todrick Hall, with whom he began collaborating in 2013; Hall has spoken openly about his alleged negative experiences with Braun.
What is Scooter Braun’s job now?
Last year, Braun released a statement announcing his retirement as a music manager after 23 years. He is now the sole CEO of HYBE America, a diversified entertainment and media company with bases in Korea and Japan. ‘Over the past two years, I have been heading towards this destination, but it wasn’t until last summer that this new chapter became a reality. One of my biggest clients and friends told me that they wanted to spread their wings and go in a new direction. We had been through so much together over the last decade, but instead of being hurt, I saw it as a sign.’
‘Justin and Ariana were both young teenagers when I began with them. Justin, a 13-year-old kid busking in Canada, and Ariana, a young actress on Nickelodeon,’ Braun continued. ‘To see them both come up to be the legends they are today will forever be one of my greatest honours. As we change our working relationships now, I will continue to root for them with the same passion that I did at each of their humble beginnings. I may have left my role in management, and my business relationship with many clients will alter and change, but this does not mean [SB Projects] as a company [is] leaving.’
Is Scooter Braun dating Sydney Sweeney?
Braun’s appearance at Sweeney’s birthday added fuel to the rumours that they might be dating. According to People’s sources, the pair have a ‘genuine connection’ and are ‘casually dating’. They added that they ‘have a lot in common and neither one of them cares what others think’.
Apparently, they started dating after bonding at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’ wedding in Venice in June. And ‘it’s not just Sydney’s side, either,’ according to the source, who told People that the record executive’s ‘friends are also glad to see him with Sydney’.
‘They say it’s been a long time since they’ve seen him this settled in a relationship, and they can tell how much he admires her. He thinks she’s smart, kind and fun, and she appreciates how he really sees her for who she is beyond all the noise.’
