Live Nation Employees Joked About 'Robbing Fans Blind' in Internal Messages
Internal Slack messages reveal Live Nation employees joking about price gouging, just as the DOJ antitrust lawsuit against the company reached a settlement.
The antitrust lawsuit filed against Live Nation and Ticketmaster by the Department Of Justice (DOJ) in 2024 took an unexpected turn earlier this week with a settlement reached before trial. However, details from the case continue to surface, revealing internal communications where Live Nation employees joked about exploiting ticket buyers.
According to the New York Times, the Slack messages, exchanged between Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold (regional ticketing directors for Live Nation venues in Florida and Virginia, respectively) from late 2021 to early 2023, contained candid admissions of price gouging. "These people are so stupid," Baker wrote, referring to customers paying $199 for "VIP Club Admission" to a 2022 Kid Rock concert. "I almost feel bad taking advantage of them." Weinhold responded, "I have VIP parking up to $250 lol."
New York Times
In another instance, Baker and Weinhold discussed the growth of "premier parking" at an unnamed venue, where prices reached $666,000 in 2021. "Robbing them blind baby," Baker said. "That’s how we do... I gouge them on ancil prices to make up for it."
A Justice Department lawyer argued that the Slack messages offered "a candid, contemporaneous look into how they view the prices that Live Nation charges fans for ancillary services." Live Nation, however, dismissed the messages as "off-the-cuff banter" between friends, unrelated to policy or decision-making. The company stated that leadership was unaware of the messages until they became public and would be investigating the matter.
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