In the ever-changing landscape of the music industry, Scott Samuel Braun, better known as Scooter, has established himself as a shrewd and innovative entrepreneur. With a finger on the pulse of popular culture, Braun has revolutionized the careers of several prominent artists, amassing a net worth of approximately $1.1 billion in the process.

However, Braun’s recent controversies have tarnished his reputation. A public feud with global superstar Taylor Swift exposed his ruthless business tactics, while Swift has continued to solidify her status as one of the world’s most successful artists.

Following the news that both Demi Lovato and longtime client Ariana Grande have parted ways with Braun’s management company, speculation is mounting that there may be more controversy yet to come.

Here, we delve into the highs and lows of Braun’s tumultuous career.

Scooter Braun with Demi Lovato

Singer Justin Bieber (L) and manager Scoot Braun pose in the audience at the 40th American Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on November 18, 2012 in Los Angeles, California

Born on June 18, 1981, in New York City, Braun’s upbringing laid the foundation for his future in the music industry. Raised in a tight-knit Jewish family in Greenwich, Connecticut, he demonstrated a passion for music from a young age.

After graduating from Greenwich High School, Braun pursued higher education at Emory University in Atlanta, where he honed his entrepreneurial skills, organizing successful events and parties that showcased his ability to connect with diverse crowds.

At just 20 years of age, Braun was hired by record label So So Def as executive marketing director, and went on to co-found the Raymond Braun music group with R&B stalwart Usher – earning him a spot on Forbes’ ’30 Under 30′ list for 2009.

Braun’s first major splash in the music world was discovering a young Canadian teenager on YouTube who would go on to become a global superstar.

Braun stumbled upon a video of Justin Bieber singing a Ne-Yo cover and, recognizing the kid’s immense potential, tracked the budding star down and convinced his mother to allow him to move to Atlanta and be mentored under Braun’s guidance.

In 2010, the world witnessed the fruits of their partnership in Bieber’s debut album ‘My World,’ which featured the chart-topping hit ‘Baby’ – the track responsible for launching Bieber’s career and solidifying Braun’s status as a music industry magnate.

He went on to work with artists such as Kanye West, Black Eyed Peas, Carly Rae Jepsen, Demi Lovato, and Ariana Grande, while also brokering marketing deals between artists and renowned companies and even extending his reach into film and TV production.

However, Braun’s career has been marred by controversy, particularly his bitter feud with pop superstar Taylor Swift.

In 2019, Braun’s company Ithaca Holdings acquired Big Machine Label Group, which held the rights to Swift’s first six albums, for an eyewatering $330 million.

This purchase ignited a highly publicized spat, as Swift accused Braun of orchestrating a campaign of ‘incessant, manipulative bullying’ against her and taking ownership of her artistic work without her consent.

The pair already had bad blood due to Braun’s management and backing of Kanye West, who himself clashed with Swift – firstly after interrupting her acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, and secondly in 2016 after releasing the song ‘Famous’ which contained explicit lyrics about Swift, including the words: I made that b***h famous.

Later, Kim Kardashian released a recorded phone call between Swift and West discussing the lyrics – which Swift had denounced as misogynistic – suggesting the popstar gave the rapper her blessing to use the words in advance.

The incident led to a widespread public perception that Swift had been dishonest, and saw her relationship with Braun and West fall apart.

However, in 2020, a leaked video appeared to prove Swift told the truth about her phone call with West.

When Braun acquired the rights to all six of Swift’s first albums and proceeded to enjoy royalties off her hard work and creative talent, the popstar was furious.

‘My musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it,’ she wrote at the time. ‘This is my worst-case scenario.’

Scooter Braun and Kanye West

Taylor Swift performs onstage during opening night of her 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour at University of Phoenix Stadium on May 8, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona

In 2021, Braun split from his wife of seven years, Yael Cohen, with whom he shares three kids

Swift is now in the process of re-recording all six of her albums and is set to release ‘Taylor’s version’ of 1989 later this year, while embarking on a mega world tour that has propelled her to true superstardom.

Meanwhile, Braun’s 2020s have not been quite so successful.

In 2021, he split from his wife of seven years, Yael Cohen, with whom he shares three kids.

And this year, artists began to sever ties with the 42-year-old mogul.

Colombian singer J Bavin was the first higher-profile artist to leave, announcing he’d split from Braun’s SB Management company in May in favor of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Management.

Then on Monday, both Demi Lovato and Ariana Grande – who partnered with Braun aged just 20 years old and released all six of her albums while on his roster – announced they were leaving SB.

Lovato said the split was ‘amicable’ and was simply seeking ‘a new direction’, while Grande’s decision to leave remains unexplained.

But the high-profile departures have fueled speculation surrounding Braun’s business dealings – and delighted fans of Taylor Swift.

Representatives for Lovato and Braun declined to comment.