Live Nation Directors Exposed For Bragging About “Robbing Fans Blind”

If you’ve ever stared at a concert ticket checkout screen wondering why a $60 ticket suddenly costs $147, you’re not alone, and now we may know why.

Newly unsealed court documents have revealed internal Slack messages from two Live Nation ticketing directors openly joking about price-gouging fans. The messages surfaced during the company’s ongoing antitrust battle with the U.S. Department of Justice and multiple state attorneys general.

In the leaked conversation, regional ticketing directors Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold discussed the eye-watering fees attached to concerts.

“These people are so stupid,” Baker wrote in one message, adding that he “almost feels bad taking advantage of them.” In another exchange, he bragged about charging $50 just to park on the grass and $60 for a slightly closer spot, celebrating the strategy with the line: “Robbing them blind, baby.”

The messages date back to 2022 but only became public after a New York federal judge ordered them to be released despite attempts by Live Nation to keep them out of the trial. The revelations come at a particularly sensitive time for the live entertainment giant. Earlier this week, Live Nation reached a settlement with the Department of Justice over accusations that the company used its dominance across promotion, venues, and ticketing to stifle competition in the live music industry.

As part of that agreement, the company has reportedly agreed to cap certain ticketing fees, shorten venue exclusivity contracts, and allow competing ticket platforms access to its marketplace. Live Nation has downplayed the Slack messages as “off-the-cuff banter” between employees that do not reflect company policy.

But for fans who’ve spent years watching ticket prices spiral out of control, especially in dance music and festival culture, the optics are brutal.