Scooter Braun called it quits on his career as one of the most prominent managers in the music industry, and it may be because everyone seems to hate him.
Braun once managed some of music’s biggest stars, including Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and many more. However, many of the artists have left him recently, and it seems his career is on a downward trend. The once-powerful music mogul took to Instagram, June 17, to announce his retirement, and noted he will be shifting his attention in another direction.
“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,” he wrote. “And after 23 years this chapter as a music manager has come to an end.”
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PHOENIX, AZ – FEBRUARY 03: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Scooter Braun (L) and Ariana Grande walk backstage during the “Dangerous Woman” Tour Opener at Talking Stick Resort Arena on February 3, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation)
Carly Rae Jepsen, BabyJake, Asher Roth, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and J Balvin have also left Braun in the recent past, and the list is surely incomplete.
Braun’s demise seemed to begin when Braun took ownership of a company called Big Machine Label Group, which ultimately meant he had the rights to, and would be paid for the usage of Swift’s entire catalogue of songs. She attempted to purchase the masters back from him, but said the terms were not favorable for her to do so, which translates to, he made the price too high, or the terms too impossible to make it worthwhile. She engaged in a wildly public feud with Braun, and ended up putting in the work to remaster each and every one of her songs to be released as “Taylor’s Version,” and ultimately cut Braun out of the picture entirely.
ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 23: Usher, Scooter Braun and Ludacris attend the So So Def anniversary party hosted by Jay Z at Compound on February 23, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Getty Images)
That’s obviously not a small feat, but the deal seemed to be dirty enough that Swift would spend her time redoing and releasing all her previously recorded work. The matter was an eye-opener for other artists, who also made a quick move away from Braun.
Braun’s portfolio of artists has continued to dwindle since then.
“It’s a strange feeling because I think I have wanted this for a while, but I was truly afraid to answer the question ‘who would I be without them?’ I was really just 19 years old when I started. So for my entire adult life I played the role of an artist manager on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” Braun wrote as part of his retirement message.
Then he cited his family as the reason he’s leaving his career — in spite of the fact that it seems the majority of the big names that his career was built on have actually already left him.
ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 23: Ludacris and Scooter Braun attend the So So Def anniversary party hosted by Jay Z at Compound on February 23, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Getty Images)
“But as my children got older, and my personal life took some hits, I came to the realization that my kids were 3 superstars I wasn’t willing to lose,” Braun wrote.
“The sacrifices I was once willing to make I could no longer justify. It was time to step into a new role,” he continued.
By his own admission, he said he’s been thinking of moving away from business management for “the past two years, “though the idea began to feel more real in summer 2023 — as “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 past decade, but instead of being hurt I saw it as a sign,” he wrote. (RELATED: Record Executive Scooter Braun Calls Out Own Industry For Being Silent Over Israeli Music Festival Massacre)
“Every client I have had the privilege of working with has changed my life, and I know many of them are just beginning to see the success they deserve. I will cheer for every single one of them,” he wrote.
I’m not entirely sure if they’ll be cheering for him, but time will tell.
