Sean “Diddy” Combs has hired manager Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, best known for managing The Weeknd, Slaiby has confirmed to Billboard. The Weeknd co-manager Amir “Cash” Esmailian has also been hired by Combs.
Combs’ hiring of Slaiby and Esmailian follows the mogul’s signing with WME in June, in a deal that also saw him partner with the agency to launch The Excellence Program, a virtual development program and resume database for aspiring entertainment executives from underrepresented communities. In May, Combs announced that he had officially changed his middle name from “Diddy” to “Love” — a moniker switch first revealed in 2017 — though he is still commonly referred to as Diddy in the press.
Slaiby, the founder and CEO of SALXCO and XO Records, also manages Doja Cat, French Montana, Bebe Rexha, Ty Dolla $ign and Swedish House Mafia, who signed with him in June. Slaiby was named manager of the year by Variety in 2020 and, along with Esmailian, was featured on the cover of Billboard’s Change Agents issue in January.
According to MRC Data, Combs has sold 8.8 million albums in the U.S., while his songs as a credited performer have drawn 818.6 million U.S. on-demand streams. Over an artist career spanning nearly 25 years, he has released five top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, including two No. 1s: 1997’s No Way Out and 2006’s Press Play. He has also enjoyed 15 top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits, five of which went to No. 1: “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” feat. Mase; “I’ll Be Missing You” with Faith Evans and feat. 112; “Bump Bump Bump,” with B2K; “Shake Ya Tailfeather” with Nelly and Murphy Lee; and a featured turn on The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1997 smash “Mo Money Mo Problems.”
Along with his work as an artist, Combs has produced an additional 10 Hot 100 top 10s that he does not feature on, including four No. 1s: Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy,” “Honey” and “My All”; and The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize.”
Combs is also the owner of Combs Enterprises, which houses a portfolio of businesses and investments in various industries, including the record label Bad Boy Entertainment, Ciroc Vodka and the cable network REVOLT TV. Forbes pegged Combs’ net worth at $740 million in 2019.
