Scooter Braun the star maker has announced his retirement from artist management
Music industry powerhouse Scooter Braun has announced his retirement from artist management, years after reportedly walking away from his role in shaping the careers of artists such as Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato.
Scooter Braun shared the news in a lengthy statement on Instagram, beginning with a memory of his first time managing an artist, Cato, in Atlanta at age 19. “I’ve had so many experiences along the way that I could never have dreamed of,” he wrote.
“I’ve been blessed to live a Forrest Gump-like life, witnessing and participating in the journeys of some of the most talented people the world has ever seen. I constantly pinch myself and ask ‘How did I get here?’ And after 23 years, this chapter as a music manager has come to an end,” said Braun.
“It’s a weird feeling because I think I’ve wanted this for a while, but I was really afraid to answer the question ‘Who would I be without them?’ I was only 19 when I started, so for a long time “All my adult life I’ve played the role of an artist manager on call 24/7,” he continued “And for 20 years I’ve loved and known”.
“But as my kids got older and my personal life took some hits, I realized my kids were 3 superstars I wasn’t willing to lose,” wrote the father of three, who also has sons Levi and Jagger as daughter Hart with ex-wife Yael Cohen. Also read – Joe Alwyn breaks his silence over his split from Taylor Swift.
“The sacrifices I was once willing to make, I could no longer justify. It was time to step into a new role,” wrote Braun, who has been CEO of HYBE America for three years along with professional partner Bang Si-Hyuk, the international company’s chairman. “[He] has a vision that I really believe in. But even beyond that, he’s become a true friend who understands where I need to be in my life these days. And that’s a father first, a CEO second and a manager no more.”
Scooter Braun explained that he had been thinking about giving up running for “the last couple of years”, although the idea started to feel more real in the summer of 2023 – after “one of my biggest clients and friends told me that they wanted to spread their wings and leave in a new direction”.
“We had been through so much together over the past decade, but instead of being hurt, I saw it as a sign,” he added.
Scooter Braun and Taylor Swift Feud
Braun’s reputation as a star maker began to be clouded by controversy within the industry in 2019 after he acquired the rights to Taylor Swift’s first six albums through the purchase of her former label, Big Machine Record Group.
The “Love Story” singer characterized Braun’s business move as a personal attack, calling herself the victim of an industry bigot’s “relentless, manipulative bullying” in a statement on Tumblr.
The dispute, fueled by Swift’s loyal fan base, would drag on for years and also prompted the singer to begin re-recording her first six albums in an attempt to reclaim ownership of her music.
Braun alluded to Swift’s drama in his retirement statement, saying, “When we had success I smiled and when we were attacked I always tried to take the high road. But for the last 3 years, I’ve started to feel that taking the high road has created confusion and ambiguity about who we are.”
In 2020, he was able to sell Swift’s early catalogue to Shamrock Capital for $300 million. The following year, he sold his investment group, Ithaca Holdings, to K-pop giant HYBE for $1.05 billion.
Rumours that Braun’s longtime clients Bieber, Grande and Lovato were looking to part ways with their manager began gaining traction last summer.