Justin Bieber reportedly owes his former manager, Scooter Braun, $8.8 million, following a financial audit dispute over the prematurely cancelled 2022 Justice world tour.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Justin Bieber initially alleged that Scooter Braun was overpaid $26 million in commissions. However, audits conducted by Braun’s company, Hybe, and an independent review by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) refuted this claim. The investigations confirmed that the disputed amount stemmed from unpaid repayments related to a $40 million advance from the promoter AEG.
Bieber had agreed to repay $24 million to Hybe to offset AEG’s advance, but sources claim he made only one payment before stopping, per Billboard. Hybe’s internal audit initially pegged the debt at $1 million, which Braun waived, but Bieber’s team challenged the figure. PwC’s neutral assessment, reported by Variety, confirmed a $8.8 million debt.
TMZ claims that Justin Bieber is broke and owes millions of dollars to his former manager, Scooter Braun.
After the cancellation of the "Justice" tour in 2022, Bieber was left with a debt of $24 million to the production company AEG, which had advanced him $40 million.
To… pic.twitter.com/3K1nm6rym3
— Pop Tingz (@ThePopTingz) May 15, 2025
Bieber’s representatives, led by business manager Lou Taylor, conducted their review but have not shared results, fueling speculation about ongoing tensions. However, no public dispute of PwC’s findings has emerged.
Justin Bieber’s Justice tour, delayed by the pandemic, ended abruptly in 2022 when he faced health issues related to Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which caused facial paralysis, according to Rolling Stone. The tour’s cancellation left Bieber with substantial financial obligations, including an unpaid portion of AEG’s $40 million advance, as reported by Forbes.
The dispute underscores strained ties between Bieber and Braun, whose management history includes Braun’s discovery of Bieber in 2008, per People. The tour’s collapse, compounded by health and logistical issues, has left lasting financial consequences, with Hybe’s audit revealing mismanaged repayments. Bieber’s liquidity, citing his $200 million catalogue sale in 2023, though unverified claims about his ability to settle the debt require cautious interpretation pending further disclosures.
Justin Bieber Sold Music Catalog For $200 Million Because He Was Broke | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/u4NnWQEjEj
— TMZ (@TMZ) May 15, 2025
As noted in Bloomberg, the Bieber-Braun debt saga highlights the financial risks of large-scale tours and the complexities of artist-manager relationships. It could prompt scrutiny of tour financing models, especially post-pandemic.
Read: Justin Bieber’s Marijuana Use and Spending Spark Concern
The unresolved dispute may impact Bieber’s reputation and future collaborations, while Braun’s waiver of $1 million reflects efforts to mitigate public fallout, though the $8.8 million debt remains a focal point.