Live Nation director boasted of gouging ticket buyers, “robbing them blind”

Recently released documents have revealed startling admissions from a regional director at Live Nation, who allegedly bragged about exploiting ticket buyers by imposing excessive fees for minor upgrades, including parking. This disclosure comes amid ongoing legal proceedings aiming to separate Live Nation from its Ticketmaster division. The company has made attempts to exclude these internal communications from the trial, arguing that they are irrelevant and could bias the jury. However, U.S. government officials and state attorneys general have contested this motion to dismiss the evidence, seeking transparency in the case. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian of the Southern District of New York has yet to make a decision regarding the motion, but he ordered the release of the documents just yesterday. The evidence includes Slack messages where current Head of Ticketing for Live Nation's amphitheaters, Ben Baker, refers to concertgoers as 'so stupid' and boasts about the company's tactics of 'gouging' fans while claiming they are 'robbing them blind.' These messages were exchanged between Baker and Jeff Weinhold, who also held a regional ticketing position. As of 2022, Baker was responsible for ticketing at major venues, including the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, while Weinhold oversaw ticketing at Jiffy Lube Live. The implications of these revelations could have significant repercussions for Live Nation as the legal battle continues, highlighting the tension between profit motives and consumer rights in the ticketing industry.