Taylor Swift’s $100,000 bonuses to her “Eras Tour” truck drivers are nothing less than extraordinary. Mike Scherkenbach, who runs the concert transportation company Shomotion and has worked on several of the singer/songwriter’s tours over the years, has gushed over the “life-changing” gifts from the Grammy winner.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Mike reveals how Taylor’s generous bonuses have helped some truck drivers buy their first houses. “She’s giving a sum of money that is life-changing for these people,” he shares. “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.”
According to Mike, most artists of the “Anti-Hero” stature typically give drivers $5,000 to $10,000 extra, making her bonus nearly 10 times the norm. And while his drivers have always received generous bonuses from the pop superstar, none have been “at this magnitude.”
“The comments that I read that bother me the most are when they’re comparing [what she gives] to her net worth,” he defends the 33-year-old star. “That’s irrelevant. There are a lot of very wealthy people who choose not to share a dime of it. We work with all kinds of wealthy people, but this is not the norm.”
And the financial gift is not the only thing that Mike has appreciated from Taylor during her tours. “They did the documentary on the last tour, ‘Reputation’, for Netflix, and she listed my drivers in the credits,” he explains. “To put the drivers’ names in the movie credits? That shows the character of a person.”
As it was revealed before, Taylor was giving away $100,000 bonus each to truck drivers hauling equipment from city to city during her “Eras Tour”. She has also rewarded her dancers, riggers, sound technicians and catering staff with cash bonuses totaling in $55 million.
The tour, which kicked off in Glendale, Arizona, in March, was initially scheduled to conclude its North American leg with six sold-out shows at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles before moving to Mexico at the end of August and then to Europe, Asia and Australia in 2024. The North American leg, however, has now been extended with 15 additional shows in 2024, including six nights in Toronto, Canada.
“Turns out it’s NOT the end of an era Miami, New Orleans, Indy and Toronto: The Eras Tour is coming to you in 2024 with @gracieabrams!” so she announced on Thursday, August 3 via social media. “Verified fan registration for all shows is open now – visit TaylorSwift.com for more information.”
[Via]
