Advertisement
In 2022, Justin Bieber reportedly ran into serious money troubles, which pushed him to sell his entire music catalog for $200 million — a move that made him the youngest artist ever to do so. This was revealed in a new documentary from TMZ called TMZ Investigates: What Happened to Justin Bieber, now available on Hulu.
Though Bieber had earned somewhere between $500 million and $1 billion over his career as a global pop icon, sources say by late 2022 he was close to financial collapse. His team believed that selling his music rights was the only way to stay afloat.
Interestingly, Justin’s longtime manager, Scooter Braun, advised him not to rush the sale. Braun reportedly suggested waiting until January 2023 to possibly get some tax benefits. But Bieber was eager to act fast and finalized the deal in December 2022.
It’s not unusual for older artists to sell their catalogs, but for someone as young as Bieber — still in his twenties and with many active years ahead — this was a big deal. People close to him say the pressure of being broke played a huge role in his decision.
The documentary explains that Justin’s financial issues had been building over time, though exact details about his spending weren’t shared. The financial strain was serious enough that selling his music rights became a necessary lifeline.
With the $200 million payout, Bieber got much-needed cash relief, but the move was seen as unusual for an artist at such an early stage of his career.
Besides the money side, TMZ Investigates also dives into Bieber’s mental health, his marriage, the highs and lows of his career, and his involvement with his church. The goal is to give viewers a fuller, more personal look at where he stands today.