Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Justin Bieber’s Manager Is One of the Investors in Firm Not Giving Pop Star’s Fans Proper Refunds

Share

EXCLUSIVE Justin Bieber fans who are angry about their refunds from expensive VIP packages can take it up with: Scooter Braun, Justin’s manager.

Scooter is one of a handful of big ticket investors who helped raise $20 million last year to launch Bktsg, the firm that is now handling Justin’s meet and greets. Among the other investors are One Direction’s management company, as well Ken Lerer and Eric Hippeau (formerly the funders of the Huffington Post), Live Nation, and Russian oligarch Roman Abramovitch. Bkstg’s principals are two former AOL execs.

It’s unclear how much Braun has invested in Bkstg, and whether his investment includes Bieber. But Bieber has shilled for the new company on social media. And he also promoted the predecessor company, called Fahlo (get it– ‘follow’) which was running his fan club and offering VIP packages before the name was changed to Bkstg. Braun’s company was also investor in Fahlo, which only raised $3 million. (It’s listed on their LinkedIn profile.) In January 2015, Bieber posted his so called “apology video” to fans on Fahlo.

To raise $20 million, Bkstg certainly required large amounts of money from investors. This means that money charged by Bkstg for Bieber appearances with fans not only cuts in the artists but the investors want their money back. Braun and other artists’ managers who invest are in effect “double dipping.” Not a bad take.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

Read more

In Other News