Ex-Manager Scooter Braun Opens Up About Changed Bond with Justin Bieber
The ties between Scooter Braun and Justin Bieber snapped in 2023. Their split came after 15 years, right when whispers of an $8.8 million debt swirled around the “Baby” singer….
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 08: Singer Justin Bieber (L) and manager Scooter Braun arrive at the premiere of Paramount Pictures’ “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” held at Nokia Theater L.A. Live on February 8, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
The ties between Scooter Braun and Justin Bieber snapped in 2023. Their split came after 15 years, right when whispers of an $8.8 million debt swirled around the "Baby" singer.
"[It's] not the same that it was," said Braun in a recent The Diary of a CEO podcast. "We worked together for so long and had such extreme success. And I think you get to a point as a man where you want to show the world you can do it on your own. And I completely respect that," the former music manager revealed.
A spring audit by PwC revealed that Justin Bieber must pay his former manager $ 8.8 million. The trace of this debt stems from a loan Braun covered to offset losses after Bieber's 2022 Justice tour fell apart.
Back in 2008, a 25-year-old Braun stumbled upon Bieber's YouTube clips when Bieber was only 13, and that discovery set the stage for their long-running collaboration.
Braun stands by his ex-client's wish to stand alone. "I think at this point that's what he's doing [standing alone]. Myself and everyone from the old team is rooting for him," he said, as reported by Rolling Stone.
"We were able to achieve some amazing things and i'm very proud of what we achieved," he added, speaking about how also took a chance of him at 25 years old..
Both men shifted paths after parting ways. Braun switched gears in 2024 and took the helm at Hybe America as CEO. Bieber made waves by selling his entire music catalog to Hipgnosis Songs Capital for over $200 million in 2023.
Talk of financial troubles surrounding the "Beauty and a Beat" surfaced after the split. While rumors about a $300 million debt circulated, Bieber's team quickly shut down such claims. The star still sits on a $300 million fortune.
Through his career, Braun guided stars like Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato. Now he watches from afar, backing their solo paths with pride.
"To see Justin move forward and succeed, to see Ariana with what's happened with Wicked in this past year, to see Tori Kelly – to see everybody that I've ever had a chance to work with, to see them go on and do great things on their own, it awesome," he mentioned on the podcast.
