Scooter Braun’s full biography age, net worth, career highlights, personal life, and his retirement from music management in 2024.
Scooter Braun is one of the most influential figures in modern music history. Born Scott Samuel Braun on June 18, 1981, in New York City, he built a multimedia empire by discovering Justin Bieber on YouTube and transforming him into a global pop sensation. Over a career spanning more than two decades, Braun became the architect behind some of the biggest names in entertainment — and one of the most talked-about figures in the industry.
His journey from college party promoter to billion-dollar dealmaker reads like a Hollywood script. Braun founded SB Projects, launched Ithaca Holdings, sold his company to South Korean entertainment giant HYBE for $1.2 billion in 2021, and officially retired from artist management in 2024. He remains a polarizing and undeniably significant force in entertainment, business, and popular culture.
Quick Facts About Scooter Braun
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Scott Samuel Braun |
| Date of Birth | June 18, 1981 |
| Age | 44 (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace | New York City, USA |
| Profession | Entrepreneur, Investor, Former Talent Manager |
| Net Worth | ~$500 million (estimated, 2025) |
| Ex-Spouse | Yael Cohen (m. 2014–2022) |
| Children | Jagger, Levi, Hart |
| Education | Emory University (attended) |
| Famous For | Discovering Justin Bieber; HYBE acquisition |
Early Life and Family
Scooter Braun was raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, the son of Ervin and Susan Braun. His parents emigrated from Hungary to the United States in 1956, and both pursued careers in dentistry — his father as a dentist and high-school basketball coach, his mother as an orthodontist. Braun grew up in a Conservative Jewish household alongside four siblings.
He showed early leadership qualities at Greenwich High School, where he was elected class president. Sports also played a role in his youth, and he carried that passion into college. Braun later enrolled at Emory University in Atlanta, where he played college basketball until his sophomore year before turning his attention to something that would change his life entirely — the music business.
The Emory Years and an Early Hustle
While still a student at Emory, Braun began organizing campus parties, quickly earning a reputation as a skilled promoter. His events caught the attention of industry figures, and by his sophomore year, he had already started working with artists. He organized a concert featuring Ludacris that was so successful it directly led to him dropping out of Emory to pursue a full-time career in entertainment.
It was a bold gamble for someone barely into his twenties — but it paid off. Braun relocated to Atlanta, a city buzzing with hip-hop energy, and began building connections in the music industry. That early hustle in Atlanta became the foundation for everything that followed.
Discovering Justin Bieber and the Rise of SB Projects
The moment that defined Braun’s career came in 2007 when he stumbled across a 12-year-old Justin Bieber performing covers on YouTube. Impressed by the teenager’s raw talent, Braun tracked down Bieber’s family and arranged a meeting. He signed Bieber to his Schoolboy Records label and co-founded RBMG Records with Usher to launch the young singer’s career.
Bieber’s debut went on to become one of the most commercially successful launches in pop music history. The success led Braun to formally establish SB Projects, a full-service entertainment and media company. Under his management, SB Projects became home to a roster that reads like a who’s who of modern pop: Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, J Balvin, Carly Rae Jepsen, Kanye West, Martin Garrix, Dan + Shay, and The Kid LAROI, among others.
In 2011, Braun produced Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, a documentary that MTV called one of the highest-grossing music documentaries in domestic box-office history. It had a budget of $13 million and earned over $100 million worldwide — a signal that Braun’s influence went far beyond management.
The HYBE Deal and Corporate Evolution
In 2019, Braun’s Ithaca Holdings acquired Big Machine Records — the label that held the masters to Taylor Swift’s first six albums. The acquisition set off a very public dispute with Swift, who accused Braun of bullying and called the sale her “worst case scenario.” The controversy generated years of headlines and sparked a broader industry conversation about artists’ rights to their own music. Swift ultimately bought back her masters in May 2025, bringing the dispute to a close.
Despite the controversy, Braun continued building. In 2021, he sold Ithaca Holdings — including SB Projects — to HYBE Corporation, the South Korean entertainment powerhouse behind BTS, in a deal reportedly valued at $1.2 billion. Braun became CEO of HYBE America, steering the label’s North American expansion. Under that role, HYBE acquired Quality Control Music for $300 million in 2023. In 2025, he stepped down from the CEO role, transitioning to a board member and senior advisor position. He then sold his entire stake in HYBE — 362,292 shares — on March 30, 2025, formally closing that chapter.
Retirement from Artist Management
In 2024, Braun made it official: after 23 years in artist management, he announced his retirement from the field. The news circulated widely, marking the end of an era for an industry that he had helped reshape. He posted the announcement on Instagram, reflecting on a career that took him from Atlanta party promoter to one of the most powerful managers in music history.
Today, Braun serves as Chairman of Ithaka Management Group, running his family office across investments in technology, real estate, media, and art. His investment portfolio includes early stakes in companies like Uber, Spotify, Waze, Dropbox, Pinterest, and, more recently, OpenAI, Scale AI, and Nvidia. He also co-founded Mythos Studios and TQ Ventures, cementing his identity as an investor and entrepreneur rather than a talent manager.
Personal Life
Braun dated Carin Morris from 2007 to 2012. In 2014, he married Yael Cohen, a Canadian activist and founder of the anti-cancer organization Fuck Cancer. Together they had three children: sons Jagger (born February 2015) and Levi (born November 2016), and daughter Hart. The couple separated in 2021, and their divorce was finalized in 2022. Braun has spoken about the importance of co-parenting and maintaining a healthy family environment for his children.
As of 2026, Braun is in a public relationship with actress Sydney Sweeney. The two were first photographed together in June 2025 at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos’ wedding in Venice, Italy. They went Instagram official in May 2026 following a weekend together at Stagecoach festival, with Braun captioning his post as a “lucky cowboy.”
Net Worth and Investments
Scooter Braun’s net worth is estimated at approximately $500 million as of 2025, though some sources place it higher given the value of his asset portfolio. His wealth is derived from the HYBE acquisition of Ithaca Holdings, decades of management commissions, early-stage technology investments, and real estate. He owns a $65 million Brentwood estate formerly owned by media mogul David Geffen, and retained a Gulfstream G450 private jet — valued at over $40 million — following his 2022 divorce settlement.
The Big Machine Records acquisition and subsequent flip to Shamrock Holdings reportedly netted Braun and his partners around $265 million in profit from Taylor Swift’s masters alone. His early bets on now-ubiquitous tech companies further diversified a portfolio that remains substantial even after his exit from HYBE.
Philanthropy and Recognition
Beyond business, Braun has been active in philanthropy. He has supported initiatives related to anti-bullying, mental health, and Jewish causes. In 2024, he was honored by the Anti-Defamation League for his role in supporting the Nova Festival Exhibit in New York City, a memorial dedicated to victims of the October 7 attack in Israel. In 2020, Fortune magazine named him to its “40 Under 40” list in media and entertainment.
Wrapping Up
Scooter Braun’s story is a study in the power of intuition and ambition. He built an empire by trusting his instincts — first with a teenage boy singing covers on YouTube, then with a billion-dollar bet on the future of global entertainment. His exit from day-to-day music management in 2024 didn’t signal a slowdown; it signaled a pivot to something even larger.
Whether you admire his deal-making or critique his business practices, Braun’s impact on the music industry is undeniable. He fundamentally changed how artists are discovered, managed, and monetized — and his influence will echo through the industry for decades to come.
People Also Ask
Did Scooter Braun and Taylor Swift resolve their dispute?
Yes. After years of public tension over the ownership of Swift’s first six albums, Swift acquired the rights to her masters in May 2025. Both parties have since moved on, though the dispute remains one of the most significant music ownership battles in recent history.
Why did Scooter Braun retire from music management?
Braun announced his retirement from artist management in 2024 after 23 years in the business. He cited a desire to focus on his investments, executive roles, and family. He now runs Ithaka Management Group as Chairman, overseeing a broad portfolio of ventures.
Who is Scooter Braun dating in 2026?
Braun is publicly in a relationship with actress Sydney Sweeney. The two were first spotted together in June 2025 at a high-profile wedding in Venice, Italy, and went Instagram official in May 2026 following Stagecoach festival.
How much did HYBE pay for Scooter Braun’s company?
HYBE Corporation acquired Braun’s Ithaca Holdings, which included SB Projects, in 2021 for a reported $1.2 billion. Braun received approximately $100 million in cash and stock and became CEO of HYBE America before stepping down in 2025.
