“I thought she’d talk to me… and we’d work together,” Scooter Braun admitted in June 2025, reflecting on his fateful 2019 acquisition of Big Machine Records. Speaking candidly with The Diary of a CEO podcast, Braun called his mindset at the time “arrogant” a rare moment of introspection in a saga that sparked one of the most public and polarizing battles in modern music history.
Hours after Braun’s purchase of Big Machine was announced on June 30, 2019, Swift stunned fans with a scathing Tumblr post. In it, she accused Braun a man who once managed Kanye West and Justin Bieber of being a “manipulative bully,” and claimed she was blindsided by the deal.
“This is my worst-case scenario,”
she wrote, alleging she had no fair shot at buying her master recordings.
Thus began a high-stakes feud between a global pop icon and one of music’s most powerful moguls.
To understand the gravity of Swift’s outrage, you need to know what master recordings are: they’re the original recordings of songs. Whoever owns the masters controls where and how the music is used commercials, films, streaming, and more.
Swift signed with Big Machine in 2005 as a teenager. By 2018, she had fulfilled her contract and moved to Republic Records under Universal Music Group, ensuring she would own all future masters. But her first six albums from her 2006 debut through Reputation (2017) remained under Big Machine.
When Braun’s company Ithaca Holdings bought Big Machine in a $300–$330 million deal, he acquired those six albums. Swift’s version? She was never given a clear path to buy them herself. Instead, she claimed, she was offered the chance to “earn” them back one by one.
In 2025, Braun described his thought process post-acquisition:
“I had a feeling… she probably didn’t like me,”
he said.
“But I thought once the announcement happened, she would talk to me… and we would work together.”
He underestimated both Swift’s distrust and the power of her fanbase.
“I was arrogant,”
he confessed.
“I didn’t see the emotional side of what I was stepping into.” He would later refer to the fallout as a “gift of pain,”
acknowledging that the backlash forced him to grow.
Swift’s devoted fans, known as “Swifties,” responded with fury. On platforms like X, they launched hashtags like #WeStandWithTaylor and #IStandWithTaylor, pressuring brands, radio stations, and even fellow celebrities to pick sides.
They cited Braun’s history his ties to Kanye West, who publicly feuded with Swift for years, and Justin Bieber, who once mocked her on FaceTime as evidence of an intentional power play.
Rather than fight Braun legally, Swift turned to strategy. She began re-recording her albums releasing Fearless in 2021, followed by Red and others. These versions soared on the charts, boosted by media outlets like iHeartRadio and widespread fan support.
In late 2020, Braun sold her masters to private equity firm Shamrock Capital for around $405 million. Despite their interest in working with her, Swift declined, citing Braun’s ongoing financial interest. But in May 2025, she did what once seemed impossible: she bought her masters back for a reported $360–600 million.
The Swift-Braun saga reshaped the music landscape. It ignited a global conversation about artist rights, label contracts, and corporate control.
Artists like Halsey, Kelly Clarkson, and others voiced support for Swift. Nashville and London, two major music hubs, buzzed with debates on ownership. Even streaming platforms adjusted how they spotlighted artist-controlled releases.
In 2024, Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: Bad Blood, a documentary on Discovery+ UK, brought the drama to screens, reigniting discussion and highlighting Braun’s now-viral quote:
“I thought she’d see who I am.”
In 2025, Swift emerged victorious not just with her music in hand, but with a stronger message: know your worth, and fight for it.
Braun’s regrets serve as a lesson in perception and power.
“It was a hard journey,but I learned.”
he said,