Per multiple reports, Taylor Swift rewarded crew members working on her Eras Tour with massive bonuses. E! News listed "dancers, riggers, sound technicians, caterers and other production staff" as the recipients of extra pay that adds up to an estimated $55 million.
More specific reports reveal that the 50-plus truck drivers on the tour each got a $100,000 surprise. The owner of a transportation company employed by Swift's team, Mike Scherkenbach told Rolling Stone that his drivers received a "life-changing" sum.
"Her father was the one that actually presented the checks to our drivers," Scherkenbach told Today. "And he presented handwritten letters from Taylor. It's incredible that they would take that time, and what it means to our staff to be recognized."
Swift's Eras Tour was slated to earn a record-setting $1 billion in sales before more dates were added for the fall of 2024. Pre-sales broke multiple records— and Ticketmaster's website. To further drive home the tour's success, each stop has boosted the economy of its host city.
The Federal Reserve office in Philadelphia noted in its latest Beige Book release that May was the city's highest month for hotel revenues since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Swift's Eras Tour —which came to the city on May 12, 13 and 14— is being credited for the boost.
According to Fox Business, the institution wrote, "Despite the slowing recovery in tourism in the region overall, one contact highlighted that May was the strongest month for hotel revenue in Philadelphia since the onset of the pandemic, in large part due to an influx of guests for the Taylor Swift concerts in the city."
As for memorable shows in recent weeks, crowd noise plus the volume of Swift and her band caused the equivalent of a 2.3 magnitude earthquake during a July 23 show at Seattle's Lumen field.
