Taylor Swift and Capitalism

TAYLOR SWIFT IS REDEFINING CAPITALISM

Taylor Swift is redefining capitalism.

I said this in a group chat with some of my friends and found myself in an hours long debate.

What I realized is that my friends got stuck on intent while I was focused on outcome. Let me explain, and let me also explain why this matters to writers.

By now, I’m sure you know that Taylor Swift is in the midst of the biggest tour in music history. She will have grossed over a billion dollars by the time her Eras Tour is over, which won’t be till the end of 2024.

You likely already know that she has spent millions giving some of her staff bonuses up to $100,000. The figures differ, but the number that makes the most sense to me is $5.5 million. The truckers working for Taylor confirmed that all 50 drivers received $100,000. That’s $5 million right there. According to Forbes, the other $500,000 was split among the rest of her staff. I’ve read reports putting the total number Taylor shared in bonuses at $55 million. I don’t think it’s that high.

Regardless, many people, myself included, applaud Taylor for showing her team how valued they are. Others, like my friends, are saying “so what.” She’s making all this money, she should be doing that.

And there lies the dilemma.

“Should be doing” and actually doing are two different things. When it comes to capitalism, greed typically overcomes anything wealthy people “should be” doing. What Taylor Swift did was remove greed. It’s really that simple.

Those same truck drivers who are part of Taylor’s Eras Tour said that most artists give them $5,000 maybe $10,000 extra. They were so stunned by their bonuses, they thought it was a joke.

Why would Taylor do this?