Who Is Elliot Grainge, Sofia Richie’s Fiancé?

Sofia Richie recently announced her engagement to boyfriend Elliot Grainge with an Instagram announcement of the proposal. The two officially confirmed their relationship in April of 2021 after being spotted out and about together in Beverly Hills. Richie previously dated Scott Disick on and off for three years before deciding to split in August 2020

Back in November, a source “close to Sofia Richie” told E! News the pair “have talked about getting engaged, and it’s something that Sofia wants and is looking forward to. They are a great match, and it’s going really well. Sofia and Elliot currently live together, and the adjustment has been so easy and seamless.” Now that Richie and Grainge are engaged, there will likely be more speculation about their relationship, including concerning Grainge himself. The 28-year-old music mogul is notoriously private, but some information is available about him and who he is.

Each of their families is heavily involved in the music industry. Sofia is the daughter of singer Lionel Richie, and Grainge’s father, Lucian Grainge, is chairman and has been the CEO of Universal Music Group since 2011. The London-born executive has worked with an impressive roster of artists over his decades-long career, including Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Amy Winehouse, Rihanna, and Katy Perry. Queen Elizabeth knighted him in 2016. Growing up in the music business caused Grainge to want to follow in his footsteps. “I was a weird kid who used to read the music trades,” Grainge told Variety in 2019. “What I noticed about my father’s negotiating style was how transparent, honest, and sensible he was. When you put your cards on the table like that, negotiating is less competitive and more about teamwork. How can we get this done together so that everybody is happy?” 

Grainge founded and is CEO of 10K Projects, an independent record label he started by signing rappers Trippie Redd and Tekashi 6ix9ine. With 22 billion streams to its credit, 10K Projects has 18 gold and eight platinum/multi-platinum singles. On his decision to forego working at a major label, he admitted, “As an indie, there’s a ceiling on the audience you can tap into,” he told Variety. “When a major label pushes a button, its reach extends to radio, DSPs [digital-side platforms], playlists, digital marketing.… It galvanizes a global team into action.” He added that independent labels have their advantages, saying, “Radio is dying, physical product is dying, while subscription packages to Spotify, Apple Music [and] Amazon are on the rise.” 

Grainge currently lives in Los Angeles but grew up in England and later moved to the United States in 2009 after his father became the CEO of Universal Music Group. He attended Northeastern University in Boston, where he launched the nightlife promotion company Take Boston.

According to Entertainment Tonight, a source revealed that Richie and Grainge had known each other for some time. “They have been friends for years, and Elliot is also close with Sofia’s brother, Miles,” the source told ET. “It’s very nice for Sofia to date someone who her family approves of and likes.” “Sofia and Elliot have known each other for years but just recently became romantic,” an insider told E!. “They weren’t close growing up but Lionel has been friends with Elliot’s father and has worked with him for years.” 

Lionel reportedly “completely adores” Grainge.” He thinks they are a perfect match and it was a very natural progression for Sofia and Elliot to get together,” an insider told E!. “They are all family friends, and Sofia and Elliot [started] hanging out more recently this year. She thinks he’s hilarious and loves that he is a chill guy.” 

Grainge has several verified social media accounts, but they are mainly empty. In August 2019, he only posted two tweets on Twitter and no photos on Instagram. According to a source that spoke to Us Weekly, Richie likes that Grainge is “a private person.” “She loves that he’s low-key and isn’t someone who craves the spotlight. They like to be homebodies but also enjoy going out together.”