It has been anything but a cruel summer for Taylor Swift.
The pop superstar, who embarked on her massive Eras Tour in March, has distributed “life-changing” bonus checks to the crew members who have helped her make the tour an unprecedented success.
Sources confirmed to People magazine that Swift distributed $55 million in bonus checks to every person working on the tour, from her dancers to the sound and lighting technicians, the stage riggers, and the caterers — everyone. The approximately 50 truck drivers hauling materials from city to city, in fact, each received $100,000, TMZ first reported.
Mike Scherkenbach — founder of concert transportation company Shomotion, which is hauling materials for Swift’s tour — described the bonus money as “life-changing.”
“She’s giving a sum of money that is life-changing for these people,” Scherkenbach told Rolling Stone. “A lot of these drivers are not homeowners, and a lump sum like this gives you the ability to put a down payment on a home. That’s what makes me really happy. That generosity is a game-changer for these people.”
Scherkenbach told CNN the “large amount is unbelievable” because “the typical [bonus] amount” that a star of Swift’s magnitude hands out is $5,000 to $10,000.
The drivers learned of their bonuses on Monday. While they prepared in Los Angeles for the last stop of the U.S. leg of the tour, Swift’s father, Scott Swift, showed up at Scherkenbach’s meeting.
“Scott gave a speech saying that he had discussed this with Taylor and they thought that it was only right that everybody received a bonus. Taylor insisted on writing a handwritten note to each driver and [added] a wax seal on the envelope with her monogram,” he told CNN.
After performing six shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles beginning on Thursday, Swift will take several weeks off before beginning the international leg of the tour. She will perform shows in Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Poland, Austria, and Canada. She also plans to perform more U.S. shows late in 2024.
It is estimated that the U.S. tour has generated an economic impact of $5 billion. Forbes estimates that Swift has personally netted — after every tax and expense has been paid — $30 million from the tour so far.
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