According to Billboard Magazine, Creed had successfully worked with Mars for nine years.

The pair met when Creed, whose company The Creed Co. also represents Mark Ronson and Sara Bareilles, was an Artists and repertoire (A&R) executive at Epic Records.

Initially, Creed tells Billboard, he “wasn’t 100 per cent sure the artist thing was going to be a go." However, he was soon convinced enough by Mars' potential to leave the label and become the Hawaiian-born artist's manager.

Bruno, whose real name is Peter Gene Hernandez, has sold five million albums in the U.S., collected four Grammy Awards - including Record of the Year in 2016 for Uptown Funk which he recorded with Ronson - earned six No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 and performed at the Super Bowl twice.

The Atlantic Records artist is now believed to be starting his own operation and is planning to bring his management in-house, according to editors at Billboard.

Last year (15), it was revealed Mars and Mark Ronson updated the songwriting credits on mega hit Uptown Funk after an agreement was reached to include the five members of The Gap Band, writers of hit song Oops Upside Your Head.

According to Billboard bandmembers (and brothers) Charlie, Robert and Ronnie Wilson, along with keyboardist Rudolph Taylor and producer Lonnie Simmons, were credited and given a 17 per cent cut of the royalties after publisher Minder Music put in a claim via YouTube's content management system.