“After 23 years, this chapter as a music manager has ended,” Scooter Braun declared today.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Braun expressed his desire to spend more time with his family and in his capacity as CEO and board member of Hybe America, the North American division of Hybe Corporation. This South Korean entertainment business acquired Braun’s Ithaca Holdings and combined it with Hybe in 2021. BTS, Jungkook, and scores of other K-pop artists call Hybe home.
“A father first, a CEO second, and a manager no more,” said Braun, who joined the company at 19 and over the past 20 years has handled Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and a host of other well-known and rising stars. After two years of gradual retreat, Braun has now formally left.
“Every client I have had the honor of working with has transformed my life, and I am aware that many of them are only now starting to realize the success they so richly deserve. I shall be cheering for every one of them.
The now-former manager was also in the news for his disputes with Taylor Swift in 2019 when Ithaca bought the rights to her first six albums. Swift said she wasn’t consulted before the sale and that she hasn’t been allowed to repurchase her master’s. In response, Braun said Swift refused to talk and instead set off a public feud by turning her fan base against him. A year and a half later Braun sold Shamrock Holdings, a private equity firm, the master recordings. Under the tentative title Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: Bad Blood, Discovery+ UK just ordered a two-part documentary series.
Now running it jointly will be top executives Allison Kaye and Jen McDaniel of Braun’s SB Projects. Both “are more than capable of leading and as we combine new resources the opportunities with their leadership are endless,” according to Braun. “I know these two very strong women will grow into the most remarkable women-led management company our industry has ever seen,” the statement reads.