Taylor Swift gives over $50 million in bonuses to 'Eras' tour crew

Swift stunned the tour's trucking staff by giving each truck driver a check in the amount of $100,000.

WABC logo
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
Taylor Swift gives over $50 million in bonuses to 'Eras' tour crew
The superstar paid more than $50 million of her own money in bonuses to hundreds of support staff for her record-breaking tour, along with handwritten notes.

LOS ANGELES -- Crew members of the Taylor Swift "Eras" tour are seeing their "Wildest Dreams" come true.

The superstar paid more than $50 million of her own money in bonuses to hundreds of support staff for her record-breaking tour, along with handwritten notes.

Many crew members thought they were about to attend a routine production meeting Monday when Swift's father, Scott Swift, made a surprise visit. He gave a speech and handed everyone envelopes, Michael Scherkenbach, founder and CEO of Shomotion trucking company, told CNN.

He said the Swifts stunned the tour's trucking staff by giving each trucker a check in the amount of $100,000.

SEE ALSO: Swifties cause 2.3-magnitude earthquake in Seattle at Lumen Field

Taylor Swift fans may have taken her hit song "Shake it off" too literally.

Scherkenbach said it is a "life-changing" amount of money.

"These men and women, they live on the road. They sleep during the day and work all night," he said. "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."

In addition to his staff, Scherkenbach said other tour crew members, including those in catering, video, audio and lighting, also received bonuses.

The tour wraps up its U.S. leg in Los Angeles, with the first of six concerts kicking off Thursday. Swift then goes international with "Eras," beginning with a show in Mexico City on Aug. 24.

The CNNWire contributed to this report.