“Oh he’s broke now” — Fans react as Scooter Braun is reportedly helping Shamrock Records sell Taylor Swift's first 6 albums' masters back to her

Scooter Braun, the music manager at the center of Taylor Swift’s highly publicized masters dispute, is reportedly encouraging investment firm Shamrock Capital to sell her original recordings back to her, as per a report by Page Six. The deal could cost Swift anywhere between $600 million to $1 billion.

The news broke on X and had sparked various reactions as fans speculated on Braun’s motivations.

“Oh he’s broke now,” tweeted a user.

Many fans reacted sharply to the potential price tag.

"Taylor in the studio laughing at these greedy private equity people thinking she's gonna fall for this disgusting cash grab," tweeted a user.

"R u kidding me… it was originally 300m that price tag is WAY too high," said another.

"They doubled the price when they have zero leverage? Not gonna happen," stated a user.

"Forcing her to pay half a billion for her own music is ridiculous. Don't buy it Taylor. They're just leeching for money," wrote a user.

"That’s a ridiculous amount of money. He’s always trying to play her," expressed a user.

However, a few critics countered that Taylor Swift lacked the financial capacity for the deal.

"But she’ll become poor then," wrote a user.

"The way she can’t afford it," said another.

"Taylor does NOT have that amount of money unfortunately," stated a user.

Shamrock acquired the masters from Braun in 2020 after he purchased them from Taylor Swift’s former label, Big Machine, in 2019, a sale Swift called “toxic” and exploitative. According to Page Six sources, Scooter Braun is now “encouraging” Shamrock to negotiate a sale with Swift, though neither party has publicly confirmed talks.

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Re-records vs. masters: Taylor Swift’s billion-dollar dilemma

The deal allegedly proposed by Scooter Braun would cover Taylor Swift’s first six albums: Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation. The saga dates back to 2019, when Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings acquired Big Machine Label Group, giving him control of Swift’s early catalog.

According to Page Six, Taylor Swift accused Braun of “bullying” and denying her the chance to buy her masters, prompting her to re-record the albums as Taylor’s Versions.

Shamrock later bought the masters, but Swift declined to partner with them, alleging Braun would still profit. Now, sources claim Shamrock wants to ensure Swift “has knowledge” of their offer, citing doubts she was ever given a fair opportunity to bid initially.

As per Page Six, industry experts like Clayton Durant of CAD Management argue that reclaiming her masters would let Swift control licensing and maximize royalties from both original and re-recorded tracks. However, the $600 million to $1 billion price tag, double what Shamrock paid, has divided fans.

“She’s making money off the publishing still from the [original] songs, but not as much as from the Taylor’s Versions,” Durant noted.

Swift’s re-recording strategy has already proven lucrative. As per The Daily Beast, four of the six Taylor’s Versions have been released, generating an estimated $9 million in royalties and spikes in original track streams. Swift faces a choice between the expense of buying her masters and the advantages of owning them.

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Whether Taylor Swift accepts Shamrock’s offer or continues her re-recording campaign, the saga remains a landmark case in artist-label dynamics. For now, fans await her next move, with the Reputation (Taylor’s Version) and debut re-records still pending.