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Incredibly controversial manager of stars like Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift is retiring aged just 42

Incredibly controversial manager of stars like Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift is retiring aged just 42

The manager said he would be ‘cheering’ on his ex-clients

Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber’s controversial manager has announced he is retiring in a heartfelt statement.

He has managed some of the greatest stars of the last two decades, including the likes of Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and so many more.

Now, at the age of 42, he has announced in a long statement that he is leaving his successful career behind.

But despite being the right-hand man to some of the biggest stars, in recent years Scooter Braun has been more commonly known as a controversial character in the music industry.

Scooter Braun with Justin Bieber in 2012. (Kevin Mazur/AMA2012/WireImage)
Scooter Braun with Justin Bieber in 2012. (Kevin Mazur/AMA2012/WireImage)

Braun came under fire after his 2018 acquisition of the rights to Taylor Swift’s first six albums, via his purchase of Big Machine Record Group, which she claimed was underhanded - to put it softly.

What followed after was months of taunts from Braun, and some of his clients at the time, including Bieber and Kanye West.

And despite her scathingly outspoken statements against him - and her fans’ deadly attacks on social media - he still managed to make a profit on the albums, before selling them to Shamrock Holdings for $300 million.

Years after this, there were rumors that his clients were unhappy in the current management situation.

Despite managing some of the biggest stars in the music industry, Braun faced a lot of controversy in his career. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation)
Despite managing some of the biggest stars in the music industry, Braun faced a lot of controversy in his career. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation)

Both Bieber and Grande - as well as Demi Lovato - stepped back from Braun, and now, years on, he has announced his official retirement.

In a lengthy statement seen by Variety, he said: “I’m constantly pinching myself and asking ‘how did I get here?’ And after 23 years this chapter as a music manager has come to an end.

“It’s a strange feeling because I think I have wanted this for a while, but I was truly afraid to answer the question ‘who would I be without them?’ I was really just 19 years old when I started.

“So for my entire adult life I played the role of an artist manager on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And for 20 years I loved it. It’s all I had known.

“But as my children got older… I came to the realization that my kids were three superstars I wasn’t willing to lose.”

Braun is officially retiring at the age of 42. (Kevin Mazur/BMA2015/WireImage)
Braun is officially retiring at the age of 42. (Kevin Mazur/BMA2015/WireImage)

Referencing the drama, he then added: “When we had success I smiled, and when we were attacked I tried to always take the high road.

“But for the last three years I have begun to feel that taking the high road has created confusion...”

He made no mistake of adding that he would still be ‘cheering’ on for his ex-clients, saying: "I will cheer for every single one of them."

But we’re not quite sure all of them will be returning the gesture.

Featured Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/AMA2012/WireImage/Getty / Kevin Mazur/AMA2015/WireImage/Getty

Topics: Music, Celebrity, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber