Overview
- Michael Rapino called 2022 internal Slack remarks bragging about overcharging fans "disgusting" and said he only learned of them last week.
- Ben Baker, identified in the messages and slated to testify, remains employed with no pay cut as Rapino said he would "deal with it" and that the company "doesn't fire easily."
- The Slack exchange, introduced as trial evidence, included lines such as "robbing them blind, baby" and described steep ancillary fees and parking prices.
- The Justice Department and a handful of states settled last week, but 33 states and Washington, D.C., are pressing the Manhattan trial against Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
- Reporting on the settlement indicates roughly $200–$280 million in penalties and requirements to open parts of Ticketmaster’s technology to third-party sellers.