2023 Impact 50: Wassim ‘Sal’ Slaiby

Founder & CEO
SALXCO / XO Records

Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, founder and CEO of SALXCO management, didn’t rest on his laurels following an impressive 2022 that included owning the Coachella main stage with his clients The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia. The Lebanese-born music mogul continues to ride that wave of success well into 2023 with his company’s ever-expanding roster thriving in the music industry and beyond.

This year’s Coachella put the spotlight on another one of his clients. Jamaican-born singer Shenseea performed at the mega festival for the first time and went all out with a dragon motif by including an inflatable version of the mythical creature and wearing outfits inspired by it, and she wasn’t the only SALXCO-managed artist to make an appearance on one of the biggest stages in live entertainment. Producers and DJ duo Two Friends played a set in Indio, California, and welcomed pop star Bebe Rexha, also a SALXCO client, on stage. The latter will be going on a 20-date tour later this month.

Then, there’s Slaiby’s biggest client: The Weeknd. The 33-year-oldCanadian global superstar, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, slayed Coachella last spring and closed out the year releasing the song “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” for “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which was the highest-grossing film of 2022. The Weeknd was recently named the most popular musician on the planet by Guinness World Records and the publication claimed that “no one else even came close” as he became the first artist to surpass 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Tesfaye was just as remarkable in the live industry, grossing $124.5 million and selling 853,272 tickets in 2022 and was No. 1 on Pollstar’s Power Index going into 2023. The Weeknd will look to dominate another art form this year as he is set to star in the upcoming HBO series “The Idol,” which he co-created and co-executive produced.

With a deep roster that also includes rapper and producer Diddy, Belly, Doja Cat and R&B singer Brandy, the sky’s the limit for Slaiby and SALXCO.