Scooter Braun says he spent $300 million on a label to work with Taylor Swift, then met her just three times and still can’t explain what happened

Former music executive Scooter Braun has spoken openly about his history with Taylor Swift, telling The Free Press that he still does not fully understand what happened between them. Despite becoming a central figure in one of the most publicized disputes in music industry history, Braun says he barely knew Swift before everything collapsed. The interview marks one of his most candid accounts of the controversy.

Braun says he has met Swift only three times in his life. One of those encounters came when she invited him to a private party, where she told him she had “utmost respect” for him, a sentiment he says he returned. That interaction predated the masters dispute that would turn him into a target for her fanbase almost overnight.

The controversy began in June 2019 when Braun’s company, Ithaca Holdings LLC, acquired Big Machine Label Group for $300 million, giving him control over the masters for Swift’s first six studio albums: Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014), and Reputation (2017). Braun says he bought the label because he genuinely wanted to work with Swift, not anticipating the fallout that followed.

The $300 million deal set off a dispute that changed how artists fight for ownership

Swift publicly denounced the acquisition on Tumblr, stating she was distressed that Braun now controlled her catalog and alleging years of bullying tied to his association with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. Big Machine founder Scott Borchetta countered that Swift had declined the opportunity to buy her masters before the sale closed. The exchange drew significant public attention and a sustained campaign by Swift’s fanbase, a moment that illustrated how musicians’ social media backlash had become a defining feature of industry disputes.

Swift’s response was to re-record her first six albums, releasing them under the “Taylor’s Version” banner with full ownership of the new masters. Albums including Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) broke sales and streaming records, with radio networks like iHeartRadio announcing they would only play the new versions, reflecting the wider pressure around streaming rights and music ownership that had come to define the era.

In October 2020, Braun sold Swift’s masters to investment firm Shamrock Holdings for a reported $405 million. Swift rejected Shamrock’s offer for an equity partnership on the grounds that Braun would still financially benefit, and continued with her re-recording plan.

In May 2025, Swift announced she had purchased her entire catalog from Shamrock under terms she described as fair, reclaiming full ownership of all six albums. Streams of her original recordings reportedly doubled on Spotify following the announcement.

Braun says that despite the public criticism directed at him throughout the dispute, he grew from the experience and remains grateful for it. He maintains there was never any bad blood on his side and wishes Swift well. “I legitimately don’t know her and didn’t have many interactions with her and never really knew her,” he said.