Megadeth's Dave Mustaine has been ordered by a Los Angeles judge to pay his former manager Cory Brennan of 5B Artist Management, who Mustaine "abruptly" terminated in early 2023, a total of $1,400,006.
"Dave Mustaine, who has a known history of firing advisors, terminated 5B Artist Management after 9 years of their having resurrected his failing career," said Brennan's attorney Howard King, per a report by Billboard. "Ignoring the success Five B had helped Dave achieve, including a campaign to help him win his first Grammy, the release of two hit albums, and the elevation of his touring from small clubs back to arenas and amphitheaters, Dave simply refused to pay commissions owing and forced 5B to file a lawsuit."
Despite the payment, the legal battle between Mustaine and Brennan is not over. Mustaine's counter-lawsuit against Brennan is still ongoing, where Mustaine alleges that Brennan's management of his career was "plagued with missteps" and even caused damage to Mustaine's hearing. This counterlawsuit is currently headed to trial.
The lawsuit against Mustaine by Brennan was filed in June 2023, where Brennan alleges that Mustaine hired him in 2014 to "manage his career and get it back on track." Brennan then alleges that despite his work over the next nine years, he was tired in early 2023 and was not paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in both touring and merchandise commissions.
"Despite this success and their long-term relationship, on April 28, 2023, Mustaine, through his lawyer, unexpectedly and unceremoniously terminated Plaintiffs, stating no reason for the termination," reads a portion of the lawsuit. "The decision was made to help send business to Mustaine's son, who has been trying to build a career in artist management."
Mustaine or his attorney Richard Busch have not yet commented on Mustaine's payment to Brennan or the ongoing counter-lawsuit.
