Taylor Swift ticketing fiasco enters the U.S. Senate

Published

3 years ago

January 25, 2023

Live Nation is in the firing line over its inability to stop scalper bots from purchasing Taylor Swift tickets

U.S. Senators have grilled the boss of Live Nation over the lack of transparency relating to concert tickets for Taylor Swift’s upcoming tour.

The entertainment company, which owns Ticketmaster is under fire after bots purchased tickets for Swift’s ‘Era Tour’ last year, in an attempt to resell them for a higher price.

Joe Berchtold is the chief financial officer of Live Nation, who apologised to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

“We apologise to the fans, we apologise to Ms. Swift, we need to do better and we will do better.”

Senators criticised Live Nation’s fee structure and inability to deal with bots, which bulk buy tickets and resell them at inflated prices.

“There isn’t transparency when no one knows who sets the fees,” Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said.

Meanwhile, Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn called Live Nation’s bot problem “unbelievable”.

Ticketmaster reportedly occupies more than 70 per cent market share of primary ticket services for major U.S. concert venues.

“You ought to be able to get some good advice from people and figure it out,” Ms Blackburn said.

Ticketmaster cancelled sales of Swift’s tour to the public because of the “high demand”.

The entertainment giant reportedly sold over 2 million tickets, which is enough to fill 900 stadiums.

Taylor Swift said the situation was difficult, and called for accountability for music promoters.

“It’s really difficult for me to trust an outside entity with these relationships and loyalties, and excruciating for me to just watch mistakes happen with no recourse.

“I’m not going to make excuses for anyone because we asked them, multiple times, if they could handle this kind of demand and we were assured they could,” she said.

U.S. jobs report, Fed decisions, and Japan’s economic risks explained

January US jobs report sparks uncertainty; analysts debate impact on Federal Reserve policy and market confidence.

Published

14 hours ago

February 12, 2026

Harvey Vargas

January US jobs report sparks uncertainty; analysts debate impact on Federal Reserve policy and market confidence.

The January US jobs report shows a mixed picture for the economy, with payroll revisions and steady unemployment leaving analysts questioning the impact on Federal Reserve policy. We break down what the numbers mean for interest rates and market confidence.

US stock markets could face turbulence as investors digest the latest jobs data. David Scutt from StoneX explains how these figures may influence equities and what the outlook is for global markets.

Meanwhile, developments in Japan and a strengthening yen could spark new macroeconomic risks. From carry trades to unexpected shocks, we explore how these factors ripple across the global economy.

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#USJobsReport #FederalReserve #StockMarket #MacroRisks #JapanEconomy #GlobalMarkets #CurrencyTrading #EconomicUpdate

Money

Alphabet launches $20B bond to fund AI expansion

Alphabet’s $20B bond offering highlights investor confidence in AI growth, enabling funding without shareholder dilution.

Published

2 days ago

February 11, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Alphabet’s $20B bond offering highlights investor confidence in AI growth, enabling funding without shareholder dilution.

Alphabet has launched a record $20 billion bond offering to finance its massive AI infrastructure build-out, signalling strong investor confidence in the company’s growth strategy. The oversubscribed sale shows that investors are betting on Alphabet’s AI potential and long-term returns.

By using debt instead of equity, Alphabet can raise funds without diluting shareholders. The money will support AI research, advanced computing, and other strategic projects, cementing the company’s leadership in the sector.

Brad Gastwirth from Circular Technologies explains how corporate debt is reshaping tech financing and how investors perceive AI-linked bonds. This record issuance could set a trend for other tech companies looking to fund innovation.

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Money

AI tax tool sparks market turmoil for financial firms

Major financial firms’ stocks fell sharply after an AI tax tool launch, raising investor fears of disruption in advisory services.

Published

2 days ago

February 11, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Major financial firms’ stocks fell sharply after an AI tax tool launch, raising investor fears of disruption in advisory services.

Shares of major financial services firms tumbled after the launch of a new AI-powered tax planning tool. LPL Financial dropped nearly 11%, while Charles Schwab and Raymond James Financial fell more than 9%, signalling investor concern over AI disrupting traditional advisory services.

Morgan Stanley also saw a 4% decline as fears grow that AI could replace some of the most profitable offerings of established firms. Earlier this year, the introduction of other AI models already caused turbulence in software stocks, suggesting this could be a broader trend affecting multiple sectors.

The iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers and Securities ETF was down 4% on Tuesday, reflecting the market-wide uncertainty surrounding AI adoption in finance. Investors are closely watching whether AI will complement or cannibalise the industry’s core services.

#AIImpact #WallStreet #FinancialMarkets #InvestingNews #MorganStanley #CharlesSchwab #RaymondJames #FinTech