Demi Lovato and Ariana Grande have parted ways with the music manager

Last week, Scooter Braun was one of the biggest names in the pop music business - but it's safe to say that a lot can happen in a week.

You may have seen the music mogul in the headlines in recent days - but what is actually going on with him?

Scott 'Scooter' Braun came to prominence after he 'discovered' a 12-year-old Justin Bieber on YouTube and steered him to global fame and recognition, making him one of the biggest pop stars on the planet.

Since then, he has grown his profile and standing in the music business in a major way, with his company SB Projects - and until recent days, was also the manager of Demi Lovato and Ariana Grande (as well as artists like Carly Rae Jepsen, Dan + Shay, Usher and Black Eyed Peas.) In 2021, his net worth was more than $1 billion. Last year, he sold his Ithaca Holdings company to K-Pop company Hybe, and earlier this year, he was promoted to sole CEO of Hybe America, the company behind K-Pop superstars BTS, bringing his stable of artists with him.

However, Lovato - who recruited him as her manager in 2019 - put out a statement the other day saying that they had parted ways, and Grande soon followed suit. Colombian artist J Balvin also terminated his contact last month, and now there are rumours that Bieber has also dispensed with Braun's services, following reports that they have not spoken in months - although reps for both parties denied this.

Meanwhile, it has also come to light that Broadway and 'Frozen' star Idina Menzel terminated her contract with Braun in January of this year.

The mass exodus of top-tier clients has led to a lot of raised eyebrows, with many asking whether there's a reason behind the sudden moves.

A source told Variety: "All of Scooter Braun’s clients are under contract and negotiations have been going on for several months as Scooter steps into his larger role as HYBE America CEO. People are spreading rumors based on what they know, but they are off. Scooter’s team at SB Projects are still handling both Justin and Ariana as they work through what this new structure looks like."

Others have speculated that his demanding role as Hybe America CEO has left him with less time to focus on his pop star clients, with one report suggesting that he had had no input or involvement in the album that Justin Bieber has been making in recent months.

One person who won't have any sympathy for him, however, is Taylor Swift. In 2019, she had a very public feud with Braun after his Big Machine company bought the rights to her back catalogue before she even knew about it. It led to her re-recording her first six albums under the 'Taylor's Version' banner.

Braun, meanwhile, is on holiday in Iceland with friends and has not publicly commented - except for to make a joke on X...

It's a case of 'watch this space' in terms of further developments...