Taylor Swift is the gift that keeps on giving.
The singer recently handed out $55 million in bonuses to everyone working on her tour — from the dancers and sound crew, to catering staff and truck drivers.
“These men and women, they live on the road. They sleep during the day and work all night,” said Michael Scherkenbach, founder and CEO of Denver, Colorado-based Shomotion trucking company to CNN Business. “It’s a grueling task. They leave their families, young children for weeks. For Taylor’s tour, they’ve been away from home for 24 weeks.”
Swift and her 44-song track list have sold out shows across the country — Forbes reports she’s made over $100 million in earnings thus far, while CNBC estimates Swift will earn over $1 billion from the tour. The “Bad Blood” songstress kicked off her Eras tour in March in Glendale, Arizona, and plans to start the international leg of the tour in a few weeks.
It’s no secret that Swifties are the ultimate fans, even giving Beyonce’s “Bee Hive” a run for its money when it comes to dedication. The Era stop in Seattle, for example, caused a “Swift-Quake” as concertgoers made so much noise it created seismic activity, triggering a 2.3 magnitude quake.
The tour stops next for six sold-out shows in Inglewood, which will complete the U.S. leg of the tour.
