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Justin Bieber once stood as one of music’s most lucrative young stars.
By his mid-20s, the Canadian singer had earned an estimated $500 million to $1 billion, according to TMZ’s new documentary. But by 2022, financial missteps and unchecked spending had reportedly pushed the pop icon to a breaking point. That December, Bieber sold the rights to his music catalog to Hipgnosis for $200 million—a move many found premature for someone just entering his 30s.
Sources close to Bieber confirmed he was in serious financial trouble at the time. The catalog sale was seen as a last-ditch effort to recoup liquidity after debt mounted during his cancelled 2022 tour.
Longtime manager Scooter Braun allegedly urged him to wait until January 2023 to make the sale, citing potential tax advantages. Bieber, however, moved forward without delay.
An audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers, finalized in April, revealed further complications. Bieber still owes Braun nearly $9 million—a debt tied to a personal loan Braun extended to help offset tour-related expenses.
While initial reports pegged Bieber’s debt as high as $20 million, his business manager Lou Taylor disputed that claim. Taylor insisted Braun had actually been overpaid by $26 million in commissions.
Braun responded with his own audit through Hybe, the entertainment giant where he serves as CEO of the U.S. division. His version placed Bieber’s balance at just $1 million, which he claimed to have waived.
Bieber, unconvinced by Braun’s numbers, called for the independent audit. PWC’s findings contradicted both parties, showing that Bieber in fact owes Braun over $8 million. The financial tangle has fueled speculation about deteriorating trust between the former manager and his once-prized client.
Last year, rumors surfaced that Bieber might sue his financial advisors over a reported $300 million loss. Insiders, however, said the fault rested more with Bieber’s unchecked lifestyle than with any professional misconduct.
“He spends eye-watering amounts every month,” one source told Page Six. “At one point, he couldn’t even qualify for a credit card. He’s surrounded by people who don’t have his best interests at heart.”
Despite the chaos, Bieber’s camp insists the reports are misleading. A spokesperson dismissed the TMZ claims as “ill-informed clickbait,” denying the singer is in any kind of financial crisis.
Still, the layers of conflicting audits, lingering debts, and broken allegiances paint a complicated portrait of an artist whose fame once felt limitless—but whose financial empire now appears far more fragile.
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