Scooter Braun’s Shocking Management Shake-Up: What It Means for Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Ariana Grande

Scooter Braun, the once-omnipresent talent manager who shepherded the careers of Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, is officially closing another chapter: he is stepping down as CEO of HYBE America and moving into an executive-advisor role while hunting for “his next endeavor,” the company confirmed this week. The decision arrives barely a year after Braun announced his retirement from day-to-day talent management to devote more time to his children and focus on corporate duties at HYBE, the U.S. subsidiary of the K-pop powerhouse behind BTS and Seventeen. In a statement, Braun called his HYBE tenure “one of the most inspiring chapters” of his career and praised chairman Bang Si-hyuk’s “visionary” leadership. During Braun’s three-year run as HYBE America CEO, the Atlanta-born entrepreneur spearheaded the $320 million acquisition of Quality Control Music, landed a distribution pact with Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def label, and oversaw the sale of Big Machine’s rock division. His board seat and new advisory status signal he will remain a key U.S. strategist as HYBE pushes deeper into Latin and global markets. Industry insiders note the exit caps a rocky stretch that saw marquee acts—Lovato, Idina Menzel, and reportedly Bieber—seek new representation. Braun conceded last summer that a client’s wish “to spread their wings” crystallized his decision to walk away from 24/7 artist management, a lifestyle he said was no longer compatible with fatherhood. Reputation-wise, Braun never fully shook the public feud ignited when he bought Big Machine Label Group in 2019, acquiring Taylor Swift’s first six master recordings and prompting Swift’s highly public campaign to re-record her catalog. Although Braun flipped the masters 18 months later for a reported profit, the controversy shadowed subsequent business moves. HYBE, meanwhile, is navigating its own turbulence: South Korean prosecutors are probing insider-trading allegations against a former company executive, and investors remain jittery amid K-pop market contractions. Braun’s departure hands the U.S. reins to incoming CEO Isaac Lee, a veteran media executive expected to lean on streaming partnerships and IP diversification. So what’s next for the 44-year-old mogul? Sources say Braun is eyeing tech-forward ventures and potential film investments, leveraging his Ithaca Holdings war chest and Hollywood connections. Whether he returns to hands-on management or doubles down on corporate deal-making, the man who discovered a 12-year-old YouTube singer named Justin Bieber appears intent on writing a third act that’s larger than life—and no less headline-grabbing.