Artists can’t fire Scooter Braun as their manager anymore — he’s quitting. The mogul is retiring from management after 23 years, he announced in a 1,400-word statement. Braun, best known for discovering Justin Bieber, will continue in his role as CEO of Hybe America, an offshoot of the South Korean entertainment company. He said he has been wanting to step back from management for years to focus on his children after his “personal life took some hits,†per Billboard, a seeming reference to his 2021 divorce. He described himself as “a father first, a CEO second, and a manager no more.â€
Braun went on to reference his exodus of star clients last summer, when Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Idina Menzel, and J Balvin all cut ties with him, while Bieber fended off rumors of a split. “It wasn’t until last summer that this new chapter became a reality,†Braun said. “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 last decade, but instead of being hurt I saw it as a sign.†Braun is probably talking about Grande here, whom he had managed since 2013 and who reportedly fired him because he was absent during her divorce and snubbed her while he was on vacation. At the time, a source told People she was “excited to go in a different direction.†(She has since hired a new manager but is still working with Braun’s Hybe America on deals like her R.e.m. Beauty line.)
Braun celebrated many of his former clients in his statement, dedicating a full paragraph to Bieber and Grande: “There will never be a day where I don’t take great pride and honor in what we accomplished together.â€