Josh Gruss

Gruss was born to Agneta Angel and Martin Gruss, in 1974, in New York City. His grandfather, Joseph S. Gruss, was a financier and a businessman. Gruss completed his high school education from Taft School in 1992 and joined Trinity College (Connecticut) where he graduated with a B.A. degree in 1996. In 2010, Gruss earned MBA degrees from Columbia University as well as from London Business School. He also studied music business and guitar at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.[1] Prior to completing his education, Gruss spent six years in the US Coast Guard.[4]

In 2010, Gruss founded the music publishing company Round Hill Music with Richard Rowe and Neil Gillis.[5] The company was established as the first private equity group dedicated to music royalty investments, that brought capital to artists such as The Beatles and The Offspring.[6] In 2013, Gruss acquired the publishing rights to the song "Land of a Thousand Dances" by Chris Kenner which generated average royalties of $200,000 a year for the company.[7] The next year, Gruss and the songwriter Marti Frederiksen acquired and restored the Quad Studios Nashville.[2] The studio was originally opened in 1971 and located on Music Row in Nashville.[8]

In 2018, Gruss acquired the music publishing company, Carlin America and the rights to over 150,000 songs for $245 million including the hits of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" written by Jim Steinman.[9] Other acquisitions included the rights to the songs recorded by The Goo Goo Dolls, The Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, Bruno Mars, Tim McGraw, Black Sabbath, Daughtry (band), Craig David, The Cult, Kiss, Limp Bizkit, Blues Traveler, and Skid Row.[10][11]

In May 2020, Gruss established Black Hill Records, a record label dedicated to rock music, and signed Austin-based duo Black Pistol Fire, Nashville-based blues and rock guitarist Jared James Nichols and British rock band The Cult.[12][13] In November 2020, Gruss led Round Hill Music in collecting $291 million for a new fund dedicated to investing in music rights. The Wall Street Journal reported that it was the third and the largest music royalty fund for the company.[14]

In January 2021, Gruss was included in the Billboard's Change Agents list for raising nearly $600 million for acquisitions, including $328 million with a public listing on the London Stock Exchange.[15][16] In May 2021, Gruss acquired the Swedish label Telegram Studios whose master recordings and catalogue included Estelle, System of a Down’s Serj Tankian, Throwing Muses, Ziggy Marley, and Surfer Blood.[17] Later that year, in August, he created a Round Hill Music Endowed Scholarship Fund of 1 million dollars to aid multiple students at Berklee College of Music on an annual basis with financial assistance in pursuing Music Business and Management degrees.[18] In January 2022, Gruss was also included in the Billboard Power List.[19]