Establishing himself as a giant in the music industry, Scooter Braun is an executive and talent manager. During his meteoric rise to the top, Scooter has managed the careers of top artists like Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, and more.
Just as he’s known for his business acumen and eye for talent, he’s also known for controversy, including his dispute with Taylor Swift over her masters. Over the past few years, many of his artists have dropped him, putting his career in a precarious place. Many are wondering if the empire he spent years build is at risk of toppling.
Early Life Of Scooter Braun
Scooter Braun was born Scott Samuel Braun on June 18, 1981 in New York City. While attending Emory University in Atlanta, Scooter threw lavish parties that attracted high-profile guests. Eventually, he caught the eye of Jermaine Dupri, founder of So So Def, who asked Scooter to join the marketing team of the label. Scooter agreed and dropped out of college. By 19, Scooter Braun officially got his entrance into the industry. Shortly after, he would become head of marketing at the label.
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Scooter Braun Discovers Justin Bieber
In 2007, Scooter discovered a young Justin Bieber’s cover videos on YouTube. Knowing that Justin would be a hit, Scooter helped sign him to Usher’s Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG) in a joint label venture with Island Def Jam in 2008. In quick succession, Scooter Braun became Justin’s road manager, where he helped steer Justin’s career into superstardom.
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Expanding His Empire
During this same period, Scooter started SB Projects, a multi-faceted entertainment company involved in film and TV projects. But, not wanting to be a one-hit wonder, Scooter picked up the pace scouting new talent. He told The New Yorker, “I decided, I’m not just gonna break one new act, I’m going to break two more.”
Scooter then signed Carly Rae Jepsen to his SchoolBoy Records and began managing the British boy band, The Wanted. By 2012, all three of his acts reached the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other artists saw what Scooter was doing and wanted in. In 2013, Scooter signed Ariana Grande to his label, and by 2016, Scooter was her main manager.
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Marriage And Blockbuster Deals
Although he was busy expanding his empire, Scooter still found time for love. He started dating Canadian health activist Yael Cohen in 2013. The two tied the knot the following year and went on to have two sons and a daughter.
As his family grew, Scooter continued to hustle. His SB Projects brokered world-class deals, including Justin Bieber’s Calvin Klein endorsement. Scooter was also responsible for Kanye West’s blockbuster partnership with Adidas. Through all of this, he added Quavo, J Balvin, and Demi Lovato to the roster of artists he represented. Everything seemed to be looking up for Scooter Braun.
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Scooter Braun Vs. Taylor Swift
In 2019, Scooter’s company, Ithaca Holdings, purchased Taylor Swift’s former label, Big Machine Label Group. As a result, Scooter Braun owned the masters of Taylor Swift’s first six albums. Despite Taylor wanting her rights back and calling him a “bully,” Scooter wouldn’t budge. As a result, the public mostly sided with Taylor and believed Scooter was dodging Taylor and being shady.
However, Scooter Braun let it be known that he was trying to reach out to Taylor. He said he had attempted to contact her and her lawyers for six months, but she refused to talk. Taylor dug in and said Scooter was trying to force her to sign a non-disclosure that would forever silence her. She claimed Scooter was so unfair that he wouldn’t even quote her team a price to buy back her masters.
Tired of being dragged, in 2020, Scooter sold Taylor’s masters for $300 million to a private equity firm called, Shamrock. Scooter told Variety that he was upset over the whole feud with Taylor and continued to stress that he left the door open for communication. He added, “The thing that struck me the worst is the word ‘bully.’ I’m firmly against anyone ever being bullied. I always try to lead with appreciation and understanding.”
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More Acquisitions and Changes
The South Korean company HYBE acquired Ithaca Holdings in 2021 in a deal valued at more than $1 billion. Two years later, as the CEO of HYBE America, Scooter led the charge in purchasing one of Atlanta’s top labels, Quality Control, in a $320 million deal.
A few months after HYBE’s acquisition of Ithaca Holdings, Scooter and his wife separated, with him filing for divorce in July 2021. As his home life was falling apart, Scooter Braun’s musical empire began to break.
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Accusations & Mass Exodus
Word began to spread around the industry that Scooter Braun was a bit grimy, especially to protect his cash cow, Justin Bieber. Rapper Lil Twist who was once good friends with Justin told Business Insider that Scooter would spread negative stories about him to protect Justin’s reputation. He claimed he was used as a scapegoat and even took a marijuana possession charge for Biebs. Other sources said Scooter would routinely do anything to cover for Justin’s bad behavior, specifically his drug use.
By 2023, Demi Lovato had left Scooter Braun and Ariana Grande was reportedly looking to make her exit. Idina Menzel who had worked with Scooter since 2019 also parted ways. Despite the mass exodus, Scooter joked on X, “Breaking news… I’m no longer managing myself.”
While Scooter may have been all laughs, things got serious when rumors surfaced that Justin Bieber was leaving Scooter. News spread that Scooter and Justin hadn’t spoken in months. There was also word that Justin was so unhappy that he was looking for new management. However, those reports got squashed as quickly as they started. Hours later, Entertainment Tonight reported, “Justin and Scooter are still working together. Justin is not taking meetings to look for new management.”
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What’s Next For Scooter Braun?
With so much turmoil surrounding him, Variety is reporting that Scooter will step away from day-to-day artist management and focus more on his HYBE America CEO duties. One source said, “He’s imploding. It’s a different world since the pandemic. You just can’t be an asshole like that anymore.” Only time will tell how Scooter Braun comes out of all of this.
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