Two Live Nation executives are facing criticism after private Slack messages revealed they were bragging about charging concert attendees excessive ticket fees.
Ticketmaster is well-known for adding extra fees to ticket prices, which typically increases the total cost by around 20 to 30%, depending on the venue and specific services used.
Many fans dislike ticket markups when trying to buy seats for their favorite artists, and this issue is now getting a lot of attention online. This comes after messages from 2022 surfaced showing two Live Nation executives boasting about overcharging customers they considered naive.
Live Nation directors mocked “stupid” fans while charging $250 parking fees
This is a conversation between Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold, who both manage ticket sales for Live Nation-owned and operated concert venues in their respective regions.
Baker complained about customers in a message, saying, “These people are so stupid.” He also mentioned charging up to $250 for VIP parking and recently increasing club membership fees to $125, adding that he felt a little guilty about profiting from it.
Baker admitted to overcharging customers for extra fees, stating he was essentially taking advantage of them to maximize profits.
These messages became public as part of the legal documents released in the US government’s antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The companies asked the judge to keep the messages secret, arguing they could unfairly influence the jury’s opinion.
According to Bloomberg, the Justice Department and state attorneys general chose not to hide messages showing how Live Nation can raise prices for extra services without worrying about losing artists, ultimately harming fans.
Live Nation claimed the discussions were just casual, informal chats between colleagues, and didn’t involve important decisions, official policies, or significant information.
The company clarified that the online conversation between two junior employees doesn’t represent their beliefs or standard practices, and they are separating themselves from the individuals involved, Baker and Weinhold.
Since this was a private message on Slack, company leaders only became aware of it when it was made public and are now investigating.
This announcement comes after Ticketmaster plans to use artificial intelligence starting in late 2025. The goal is to help genuine fans purchase tickets and prevent bots from snatching them all up.
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2026-03-13 00:48