Max Martin, born Karl Martin Sandberg on February 26, 1971, in Stockholm, Sweden, is a renowned Swedish record producer and songwriter. He became a prominent figure in the music industry in the late 1990s, credited with crafting a series of hit singles for major pop artists. Some of his early successes include Britney Spears's "...Baby One More Time" (1998), the Backstreet Boys's "I Want It That Way" (1999), and NSYNC's "It's Gonna Be Me" (2000). Over his career, Martin has written or co-written 28 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, 26 of which he also produced or co-produced, setting an all-time record for the chart as of March 2024.

Martin's influence extends across various genres, including pop, dance, R&B, and rock, and he has worked with a wide array of artists such as Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd. Notably, his song "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd is recognized as the best-performing song of all time on the Billboard chart. Martin's songwriting prowess places him second only to Paul McCartney in terms of number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing John Lennon.

Martin's musical journey began in his teenage years when he sang in various bands and eventually became the frontman for the glam-metal band It's Alive in 1985. He dropped out of high school to pursue music full-time, and his band secured a record deal with Cheiron Records, where he was mentored by producer Denniz PoP. This collaboration marked the beginning of his prolific career in music production and songwriting.

Throughout his career, Martin has been recognized with numerous awards, including five Grammy Awards and the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award 11 times. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017. His financial success is reflected in a reported net worth of approximately $260 million in 2017, with his corporate entity generating significant revenue and profit in the preceding years.