Justin Bieber still owes his former manager, Scooter Braun, millions of dollars despite parting ways with the music mogul nearly two years ago.
An independent audit conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), a leading accounting firm, over a period of six months found that the pop superstar owes Braun more than $8,806,000, per documents obtained by TMZ Wednesday. The audit was reportedly completed in April.
A source explains to Page Six that the money owed stems from a loan the music mogul made to Bieber over his canceled 2022 Justice Tour. “He stepped in to help him,” the insider exclusively tells us.
Page Six has reached out to Bieber and Braun’s reps for comment but has not heard back.
In recent months, there have been rumblings of money woes for the “Sorry” singer, 31.
TMZ reported last October that Bieber — who has an estimated net worth of $300 million and sold his music catalog for $200 million in 2022 — was considering suing his financial managers for allegedly squandering $300 million of his fortune.
An insider told Page Six exclusively at the time, though, that the “Ghost” singer’s spending habits were to blame because they were “out of control.”
“He spends eye-watering amounts per month. At one point, he couldn’t even get a credit card,” the source further claimed. “Justin is surrounded by a lot of people that do not have his best interests at heart.”
The Hollywood Reporter then reported in April that those in Bieber’s inner circle feared they were watching him “disintegrate.”
Several sources also told the outlet that the “Never Say Never” singer had accrued more than $20 million debt due to his canceled 2022 Justice tour.
However, TMZ’s report Wednesday claimed that Bieber’s business manager Lou Taylor found this figure to be inaccurate and claimed Braun, 43, had been overpaid in commissions by $26 million. The music manager’s company, Hybe, then conducted its own audit and found he was actually owed $1 million but reportedly “waived that amount.”
Per TMZ, Bieber reportedly felt that Braun’s audit was done corruptly, which led to Hybe hiring PWC for the audit, which resulted in the Grammy winner actually owing over $8 million.
Bieber’s rep has long dismissed financial issues, telling Page Six in April in response to THR’s report, “This is just clickbait stupidity based on unnamed — and clearly ill-informed — ‘sources,’ disappointed that they no longer work with Justin.
“As Justin forges his own way forward, these unnecessary stories and inaccurate assumptions will continue. But, they won’t deter him from staying committed to following the right path.”
The publicist also claimed to THR at the time, “Any source that is trying to sell you a story about alleged financial distress … either doesn’t understand the entertainment industry or, more likely, is trying to paint an unflattering portrait of Justin, which bears no resemblance to reality.”
However, friends of the “Peaches” singer continued to express their concern by further fueling claims he mismanages his money.
A source exclusively told Page Six earlier this month, “He’s flying in all his friends on private jets to his birthday party, putting it all over Instagram.
“He’ll spend $300,000 at the Nobu at Coachella. He hasn’t worked in a really long time.”
However, a source close to Bieber told us at the time, “He’s making music, he’s helping to run a fashion brand, he’s a new father — he’s got a lot of things going on in his life.”
It’s unclear which fashion brand the source was referring to, though, as the “Yummy” singer revealed via Instagram in April that he was no longer involved with his clothing company, Drew House.
“Drew House doesn’t represent me or my family or life,” Bieber wrote in the post. “If your [sic] rocking with me the human Justin Bieber don’t waste ur money on Drew House.”