Music Manager Scooter Braun Announces Retirement 5 Years After Taylor Swift Feud, Gives Shoutout To Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, And More
Scooter Braun, the record executive known for his contentious feud with Taylor Swift, which prompted her to re-record her first six albums, has announced his retirement from music management after 23 years. But why is Scooter Braun retiring? Braun revealed this decision in a detailed Instagram post on Monday, reflecting on his extensive career.
He wrote, “I have been blessed to have had a ‘Forrest Gump’-like life while witnessing and taking part in the journeys of some of the most extraordinarily talented people the world has ever seen. I’m constantly pinching myself and asking ‘how did I get here?’ And after 23 years this chapter as a music manager has come to an end.”
Braun has collaborated with some of the music industry’s biggest stars, such as Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.
Last summer, reports surfaced that several of Braun’s top-tier clients were ending their partnerships with him. Puck News stated that Justin Bieber and Braun, who had collaborated throughout the singer’s entire career, “haven’t talked in months.” At the same time, Billboard and People noted Ariana Grande was parting ways with Braun.
Scooter Braun with Ariana Grande
During that period, a source within the music industry informed USA TODAY that rumors of Braun being deserted by his prominent clients were unfounded. The insider emphasized that Braun was transitioning “into his larger role” as CEO of HYBE America.
HYBE America serves as the U.S. arm of Hybe, the South Korean entertainment company renowned for managing BTS. Braun assumed the role of sole CEO of HYBE America last year.
In his statement on Monday, Braun attributed his decision to retire from management to a desire to prioritize spending time with his children. He emphasized the need to prioritize being a “father first, a CEO second, and a manager no more.”
Braun also revealed that his new chapter began to take shape last summer when “one of my biggest clients and friends told me that they wanted to spread their wings and go in a new direction,” without specifying the client’s identity.
“We had been through so much together over the last decade, but instead of being hurt I saw it as a sign,” Braun wrote. “You see, life doesn’t hand you YOUR plan, it hands you GOD’s plan.”
In his Instagram post, Braun acknowledged several artists he has collaborated with, including Bieber and Grande, stating that he will “continue to root for.”
Scooter Braun with Justin Bieber
Braun’s decision comes five years after his highly publicized dispute with Swift, which led to the singer’s re-recording of her “Taylor’s Version” albums. In 2019, Swift objected to Braun gaining control of the master recordings of her first six albums when he acquired her former record label, Big Machine Records. Accusing Braun of “incessant, manipulative bullying,” she announced her plans to re-record these albums to regain ownership of the masters.
Swift has two albums remaining to re-release as part of this project: “Reputation” and her self-titled debut album, “Taylor Swift.”
In 2022, Braun told MSNBC that Swift has “every right” to re-record her albums but expressed criticism for what he described as her “weaponizing a fanbase” against him. He said, “You don’t do that. It’s very dangerous.”
Later, Braun sold Swift’s masters to the private equity firm Shamrock Capital Content Fund. A documentary exploring the masters dispute, titled “Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood,” is set to premiere on Max this month.
