Yahoo News Taylor Swift Gives 'Life-Changing' $100,000 Bonuses, Handwritten Letters to Eras Tour Truck Drivers
“The typical amount is $5,000 to $10,000 each. So this large amount is unbelievable," said Michael Scherkenbach, founder and CEO of Shomotion trucking company
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Taylor Swift performing in Tampa, Florida in April 2023Taylor Swift will hopefully be able to make some of her crew members' wildest dreams come true.
On Wednesday, sources confirmed to PEOPLE that Swift — who is in the midst of playing six sold-out shows at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium — recently gave bonuses totaling over $55 million to everyone (from her dancers to riggers, sound technicians and catering, among others) working on her massive show.
The pop megastar, 33, also presented each of her Eras Tour truck drivers $100,000 bonuses, CNN confirmed.
John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Taylor Swift in Nashville, Tennesse in May 2023Related: Taylor Swift Gives Bonuses Totaling Over $55 Million to Every Person Working on Massive Eras Tour
According to Michael Scherkenbach, founder and CEO of Denver, Colorado-based Shomotion trucking company and one of the trucking companies Swift used for her tour, the "generous" amount shocked the staff.
“The typical amount is $5,000 to $10,000 each. So this large amount is unbelievable," he told the outlet.
“These men and women, they live on the road. They sleep during the day and work all night,” he added. “It’s a grueling task. They leave their families, young children for weeks. For Taylor’s tour, they’ve been away from home for 24 weeks.”
Scherkenbach noted how "life-changing" Swift's bonuses could be for the truck drivers, allowing some to use the $100,000 for a down payment on a home or college tuition .
“Look, fair wage doesn’t put you in a position to buy a home. But this opens up that possibility,” he explained.
The bonuses came with another surprise — a visit from Scott Swift, Taylor's father.
“The Taylor family is always present and kind to our drivers but Scott generally doesn’t lead the meeting,” said Scherkenbach. “Scott gave a speech saying that he had discussed this with Taylor and they thought that it was only right that everybody received a bonus. Taylor insisted on writing a handwritten note to each driver and [added] a wax seal on the envelope with her monogram.”
While each enveloped featured the amount the truck drivers were receiving, they weren't trying to look at the amount. However, Scherkenbach said that "one looked and thought it said $1,000, another driver saw it as $10,000 and then the third said ‘Well this has to be a joke!’”
Each check came with its corresponding tax document, too.
Related: Taylor Swift Announces More Eras Tour Dates for the U.S. and Canada in Fall 2024
The Grammy winner kicked off her tour in March in Glendale, Arizona, dazzling fans with a career-spanning 44-song setlist. Since then, her concerts have drawn famous friends and faces including Miles Teller, Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon, Gigi Hadid, Paul Rudd and more.
On Thursday, the "Lavender Haze" singer announced a new set of Eras Tour dates in the U.S. and Canada for fall 2024.
During this leg, Swift will head to Miami, New Orleans and Toronto, kicking off Oct. 18 and wrapping Nov. 23.
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