Two Live Nation ticketing directors are coming under fire online.
Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold, two regional directors of ticketing for Live Nation amphitheaters, bragged about fees charged by the company in internal messages from 2022 that have been unearthed.
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The two spoke about charging for “ancillary fees,” which would include things like lawn chair rentals and parking.
In one, Jeff bragged about raising VIP parking costs at a Virginia concert venue to $250.
“These people are so stupid. I almost feel bad taking advantage of them. I gouge them on ancil prices,” Ben Baker said in the exchange, as reported by Bloomberg.
He also bragged about charging “$50 to park in the grass” and “$60 for closer grass.”
“Robbing them blind, baby, that’s how we do it,” he added.
Ben Baker is currently the head of ticketing for the Live Nation unit responsible for its 150 amphitheaters, and was supposed to testify at the company’s federal antitrust trial over monology allegations.
Trump‘s Justice Department reached a settlement earlier in the week with Live Nation instead.
“The Slack exchange from one junior staffer to a friend absolutely doesn’t reflect our values or how we operate. Because this was a private Slack message, leadership learned of this when the public did, and will be looking into the matter promptly,” Live Nation said in a statement, per the report.
A group of state attorneys general are expected to continue litigating the case against the company as soon as next week, Bloomberg reports.
Senator Elizabeth Warren called out the Justice Department and President Donald Trump for their settlement with Live Nation in its antitrust case involving Ticketmaster.
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