Live Nation generated $25.2 billion in revenue last year. The DOJ just let them off with a settlement that doesn’t require divesting Ticketmaster. Then the Slack messages leaked. Ben Baker was a regional ticketing director when he wrote those messages in 2022. He’s since been promoted to head of ticketing for Venue Nation, responsible for all of Live Nation’s amphitheaters nationwide. The guy who called fans “so stupid” and bragged about gouging them on ancillary prices now runs ticketing for 150+ venues. The messages are all about the extras. $199 for “VIP Club Admission” to a Kid Rock concert. $250 for VIP parking at a Virginia venue. $50 to park on grass. $60 for “closer grass.” $100 for oversized parking with no RV hookup and a three-quarter mile walk to the venue. Premier parking revenue at one venue hit $666,000 in 2021. Baker’s response: “Robbing them blind baby. That’s how we do it. I gouge them on ancil prices to make up for it.” This is the playbook. Ticketmaster controls the primary ticket sale. Live Nation controls the venue. And the venue controls every dollar you spend after you walk through the gate. Parking, seating upgrades, lawn chair rentals, VIP access. None of those show up in Ticketmaster’s “service fee.” They’re classified as ancillary revenue, which means the new 15% fee cap in the DOJ settlement doesn’t touch them. Live Nation’s own response tells you how seriously they take it. They called Baker a “junior staffer” chatting with “a friend.” He ran ticketing for a major Florida amphitheater. He now runs it for every amphitheater they own. 26 states and DC rejected the settlement. The judge scolded both Live Nation and the DOJ for negotiating in secret while a jury was being seated. The states want Ticketmaster divested entirely. The messages were supposed to stay sealed. Live Nation fought to exclude them. Bloomberg, the New York Times, and other outlets petitioned for their release. Now you know why.