Taylor Swift’s crew broke down in tears as they found out she was giving them a reported $197million in bonuses for their work on the Eras Tour.
The superstar, 36, made history after grossing a record $2billion in ticket sales for her career-spanning, 21-month Eras Tour – which consisted of 149 shows in 21 countries.
As a reward to her team, Taylor is said to have handed out more than $197million in bonuses to everyone working on the tour.
The Lover singer is notably a benevolent boss, and the moment she gives the mammoth bonuses to the performers and crew, complete with personal notes, is shown in her new Disney+ docuseries, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour/The End of an Era.
Those who received a bonus included truck drivers, caterers, instrument techs, merch team, lighting, sound, production staff and assistants, carpenters, dancers, band, security, choreographers, pyrotechnics, riggers, hair, make-up, wardrobe, physical therapists and video team.
In a scene from the docuseries, one crew member reads aloud a personal note from Taylor revealing the unknown individual bonus amount – which is bleeped out.
Standing in a circle with her crew, Taylor is seen saying: ‘Everybody has the same message on their cars so I was hoping you could open it together.
‘Before you open yours I just want to say you guys this leg of the tour has been harder than anything I’ve ever done in a live setting and you guys have taken this on with such excitement, such curiosity and the endurance you’ve shown. The spirit you’ve shown.
‘How much you’ve given to these crowds, that gives to me every single night. The tour has done really well thanks to all of our hard work. So if you could kindly read the message.’
Reading the card aloud, a crew member called Cam reads: ‘Dearest Cam, we’ve travelled the world like we set out to do. We’ve dazzled the crowds but we’ve missed family too.
‘My full gratitude doesn’t come from a bank but here’s a… [bleep] dollars just to say thanks. Love Taylor.’
The crew are all seen covering their faces at hearing the amount, with many breaking down in tears.
One dancer reportedly almost passed out when opening his letter, according to The Sun.
It comes two years after it was revealed that she shelled out $100,000 in bonuses for her truck drivers, who were responsible for hauling her equipment around the country amid the US leg of her tour.
Per TMZ, she handed out the huge six-figure bonuses the workers ahead of her Santa Clara, California.
At the time, the publication stated that there were around 50 production truck drivers taking part in the US leg of the tour, meaning that if she did indeed pay $100,000 in bonuses, she would have written a check for upward of $5million.
Taylor recently admitted there was one thing she just had to have on the December 10 segment of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert – and she used her hard-earned money from The Eras Tour to get it.
As Taylor told Stephen, she finally bought back her master recordings.
‘That’s how I spent that Eras Tour money. My fans are why I was able to get my music back,’ the singer said.
Taylor, who was there to promote her new Disney+ docuserie, gushed that she never would have met her fiancé, Travis Kelce, or been able to buy back her music if it weren’t for the tour.
The Eras Tour lasted nearly two years from March 17, 2023 to December 8, 2024 – a total of 632 days – and was hugely profitable, taking in over $2billion in ticket sales.
Taylor and Travis, 36, met in summer 2023 following the NFL player’s failed attempt to gift her with a bracelet at her July concert. He mentioned it on his podcast, which then led to their first date in New York City in early September 2023.
The couple confirmed their romance when Swift attended his Kansas City Chiefs game that month where she was sitting with his mum, Donna Kelce.
They got engaged in August after dating two years.
‘Getting engaged to the love of my life, getting all my music back, those were two things that just never could have happened,’ Taylor told Stephen.
‘It wasn’t like, “Oh, it’s just a matter of time.” Both those things could have just never arrived in my life. And I’m so grateful for both of those things happening.’
