Avex raises S10 Entertainment stake to 85% with path to 100%

Avex Inc now holds 85% of S10 Entertainment, with an agreement in place to move to full ownership over time.

The Japanese music company confirmed the new holding on 29 September. It purchased the extra shares from founder Brandon Silverstein and his partners, Music Business Worldwide reported. Financial terms were not disclosed.

An 85% holding is a controlling stake. It gives Avex the deciding vote on major business questions. The side agreement sets a path for the remaining shares to follow, taking Avex to 100% in stages rather than all at once.

Silverstein is staying in post. He continues as chief executive of both S10 and Avex Music Group. The chief executive runs day-to-day operations and answers to the board. He also remains a board member and equity partner in Avex Music Group, which means he keeps a seat where strategy is set and a financial interest in the wider group.

S10 is an artist management company, the operation that handles a performer’s career strategy, deals and daily team. Silverstein founded the company. Roc Nation has been a partner in that management business alongside him since 2017. A partner in this context shares ownership, costs and decision-making.

The Avex relationship has built in stages. Avex USA, the stateside arm of the Japanese company, made a strategic investment in S10 in 2024, Billboard reported at the time. Silverstein joined Avex Music Group in 2025. Avex Inc also acquired 100% of the S10 Music Publishing catalogue, the stock of songwriting rights that earns royalties each time a song is streamed, broadcast or licensed for film, television or advertising.

Avex Inc is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under ticker 7860. That listing means its shares trade publicly in Japan, with regular financial reports for investors. Its US operation gives it a base for deals in the American market, where S10 works.

What makes this stand out is the balance of control and continuity. Ownership is consolidating. Leadership is not changing.

For listeners, little changes on the surface. Managers still manage, and releases still arrive through their usual labels and distributors. The shift sits behind the scenes, in who owns the company that looks after the artists. If the move to 100% completes as agreed, Avex will own S10 outright while Silverstein continues in his group roles.