In the latest development related to the Live Nation antitrust lawsuit, unsealed direct messages between two regional ticketing directors for the company revealed shady pricing practices.
The internal messages were sent via Slack, the workplace instant messenger, around January 2022. Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold were regional directors of ticketing for Live Nation amphitheaters at the time. Since then, Baker became head of ticketing at Venue Nation, which oversees other Live Nation venues as well as its 150 amphitheaters. Meanwhile, Weinhold serves as Live Nation’s senior ticketing director in the Washington, D.C., area.
Per a report from Bloomberg, which also obtained the evidence, Baker and Weinhold exchanged several chats bragging about exorbitantly raising ancillary fees. These include reserved parking, chairs, and VIP access. The price-gouging discussions seemed limited to these fees rather than ticket prices or service fees.
Still, the tone of their chats leaned absurdly into cartoon-villain territory. Baker said point-blank, “I gouge them on ancil prices,” referring to the ancillary fees. He also wrote, “These people are so stupid” and “I have VIP parking up to $250 lol,” sharing data for a Kid Rock concert in Tampa, Florida. “I almost feel bad taking advantage of them,” he added, along with an all-caps, Eggman-esque “BAHAHAHAHAHA.”
Live Nation Apparently Employed Cartoon Villains Who Delighted in ‘Taking Advantage’ of Fans
Live Nation promptly released a statement claiming the exchange “absolutely doesn’t reflect our values or how we operate.” They continued, “Because this was a private Slack message, leadership learned of this when the public did, and will be looking into the matter promptly.”
The statement also noted that “Our business only works when fans have great experiences, which is why we’ve capped amphitheater venue fees at 15 percent and have invested $1 billion in the last 18 months into U.S. venues and fan amenities.”
Further screenshots and chats were released to the public. In one, Weinhold showed reserved parking set to $250 at a similar Kid Rock show in Virginia. “For one parking spot lol,” he wrote. Many of the messages were from January 2022, including one in which Weinhold claimed to set the parking price “$30 above” the minimum. “I’m done asking people for permission … I just do it now,” he added.
Baker responded, “I charge $50 to park in the grass lmao. I charge $60 for closer grass.” The kicker comes with a screenshot from Baker of a spreadsheet tracking premier-parking gross revenue. Data showed a significant jump from roughly $470,000 in 2018 to about $666,000 in 2021.
“Robbing them blind baby, that’s how we do it,” Baker wrote.
Surprise Settlement in Antitrust Lawsuit Prompted Judge to Unseal Messages
On March 9, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice reached a surprise settlement with Live Nation and Ticketmaster in its antitrust case. According to Rolling Stone, the tentative settlement would not force the two companies to split, potentially ending their monopoly on live music. It would, however, hit them with a $300 million fine and force some other changes.
Before the settlement, Live Nation asked Judge Arun Subramanian to seal the Slack messages between Baker and Weinhold. While the company claimed it could influence the jury, the Department of Justice said it proved that “Live Nation is able to impose excessive prices that degrade the fan experience without fear of artists switching to another amphitheater because, in most cases, no alternative exists.”
Bloomberg and several other media outlets then filed a motion to unseal the Slack messages. On March 11, Judge Subramanian approved the motion, and the records were made public.
Meanwhile, Live Nation’s immediate statement referred to Baker and Weinhold as “a junior staffer and a friend.” However, it’s clear that these two were ticketing directors with considerable power over ancillary pricing and a distinct lack of the responsibility needed to wield it. It also seems they have only been given more power in the years since. Baker was expected to testify during the trial, but that has since been put on hold.
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images
The post ‘That’s How We Do It’: DMs Between Live Nation Directors Uncover Rampant, Cartoon-Villain Level Price Gouging appeared first on VICE.
