Swifties, this one’s for you. It seems like Taylor Swift's Eras Tour has lasted eons. Yet somehow, there’s always something to talk about. Just thinking about how much she’s accomplished while on tour makes me want to buckle down, lock in, and channel my inner girlboss. But while I can’t even be bothered to cook dinner at home after a long day of work, Taylor is accomplishing milestones most musicians can only dream of. Let’s recap.
The Era’s Tour began in March 2023 with its North American leg. It’s set to go until December 2024, with dates in Europe, Australia, Asia, and South America— spanning 152 shows across five continents.
As the queen of multitasking, Swift hasn’t stopped at just selling out stadiums. Since the Eras tour began, she’s released multiple albums — both new and old — and shaken up the tour setlist with each new release. Her list of new releases started on the first day of tour with “All Of The Girls You Loved Before,” which was quickly followed up by “The Alcott,” a feature on The National’s album — reciprocity for their work on her pandemic era albums, Folklore and Evermore.
She also released Midnights: Late Night Edition (including the iconic collab with Ice Spice), as well as not one but two album re-releases — Speak Now Taylor's Version and 1989 Taylor's Version. As if that wasn’t enough, she announced her latest album, The Tortured Poet’s Department, in a GRAMMY’s acceptance speech. Talk about legendary. Since its release, she’s also been churning out deluxe versions and remixes to keep us on our toes. The Eras Tour was even made into a Blockbuster film that brought Beyonce to its premiere. Star power: confirmed.
But that’s just her work life. Her personal life is just as eventful. She ended her 7-year relationship with Joe Alwyn in April 2023. Then entered into a brief but controversial fling with 1975 frontman Matty Healy. Though it didn’t last long, the relationship was enough to inspire a whole album and catapult her into her current romance with Travis Kelce, aka Amerca’s first nepo boyfriend. Now they’re the American Royal couple — and she somehow had time to fly from tour to his Super Bowl performance.
We all have the same hours in the day as Taylor Swift, but how she uses them will always be a mystery to me. I work eight hours a day and can barely manage a social life. Meanwhile, Taylor literally has it all — though conservatives are turning on her for daring to be a woman in her 30s who’s not married with kids. If that’s not proof that women can’t do anything right, I don’t know what is.
Clearly, she’s working late because she’s a singer. No wonder Taylor Swift became a billionaire months into her tour in October 2023. Her net worth is currently around 1.3 billion dollars, making her the only female musician to become a billionaire from her music.
Other entertainment billionaires like Rihanna, Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Jay-Z, and Kanye West have joined the three-comma club thanks to ventures like clothing brands, beauty products, and other entrepreneurial pursuits. Rihanna has her FENTY Empire. Kim has her award-winning SKIMS. Ye had Yeezy. But Taylor has an unbeatable catalog of publishing.
But Taylor isn’t just different from other Billionaires because of how she earned her money. She’s the Taylor we know and love because of how she spends it. Her rollercoaster Eras Tour is how she’s made much of her fortune. And she’s using it to give back in monumental degrees. From individual donations to investing in local infrastructure, Taylor is literally changing lives on a macro and micro scale. And teaching us what to expect from all billionaires in the process.
The Era’s Tour Bonuses — Talk About Workplace Benefits
First to make headlines were the Eras Tour crew bonuses. While some of us get rewarded with a pizza party or a $10 gift card to Starbucks, Taylor casually dropped $55 million in bonuses for her tour crew. The massive sum was paid out to everyone who makes the Eras Tour go around, from truck drivers to dancers and sound technicians.
In fairness, these bonuses are definitely well-deserved. Taylor’s shows are over three hours long. Imagine dancing for that long — because Swift certainly isn’t the one with the impressive moves — for hundreds of tour dates. Or remembering countless combinations of light cues to go with a setlist that changes daily. Yeah, they’re clocking in. And if my boss had millions to blow, I’d be expecting a comfortable bonus too. But $55 Million? That’s a testament to Swift’s generosity. It's like she's Oprah, but instead of cars, she's giving out life-changing amounts of cash. "You get a bonus! You get a bonus! Everybody gets a bonus!"
It’s similar to how Zendaya gave film equity to every member of the crew that worked on her controversial black-and-white drama, Malcolm & Marie. Filmed in a few days with a bare-bones crew during the peak of the pandemic, the film was Zendaya’s passion project with Sam Levinson, in which she starred alongside John David Washington. Though the film got mixed reviews, it captured the audience’s attention all the same. After all, it was Zendaya — and we’ll watch her in anything. So since the film sold to Netflix for a hefty sum, all the crew members got payouts from the deal on top of their salaries to reward their hard work.
Bonuses and equity payouts are common in many industries, but not entertainment. Even though it’s one of the most lucrative and recognizable American industries, most entertainers don’t make enough to survive. The SAG and WGA strikes last year were proof that there needs to be systemic change in the industry. LA County has even identified show businesses as risk factors for being unhoused — after all, how many stories do we hear of actors who were living in their cars before their big break? And for many, their big break never comes. For even more, they get hired on amazing gigs with giant performers … then go right back to the grind afterward. While individual actions from our favorite stars won’t fix everything, Zendaya and Taylor are providing models for how Hollywood should treat the people who make this town go round.
And in this economy, even a little bit could go a long way. Inflation and the cost of living are not a joke. Especially when, like with many creative careers, you often have to invest in lessons or equipment for your craft. With all this considered, the impact of Swirt’s donations can’t be overstated. Imagine getting a lump sum of cash for dancing to your favorite Taylor Swift tracks? Talk about a dream job.
The Economic Impact of Swift - Swiftonomics, if you will
Like Barbie and Beyonce last year, Swift is still on a tear to boost the economy of the cities she’s in just by traveling there — ad inspiring others to make the trek, too.
The Barbie movie proved that by marketing to women (instead of just making Marvel flops like Madame Web that aren’t really targeted to women at all), the entertainment industry can make giant profits. Barbie fever went beyond the theater. Thanks to a plethora of product collabs, the phenomenon rippled through retail.
Similarly, Beyonce’s Renaissance Tour tour generated an estimated $4.5 billion for the American economy. According to NPR, that’s almost as much as the entire 2008 Olympics earned for Beijing. People were taking money out of their 401ks to pay for Beyonce tickets and the glittery, silver-hues outfits to rock at her shows. Cities even started calling her effect the “Beyonce Bump.”
Swift has the same effect. She’s not just proving her generosity on a micro-scale for the people close to her, she’s having actual, tangible effects on the economy. It's like she's leaving a trail of dollar bills in her wake, and cities are scrambling to catch them like it's a country-pop, capitalist version of musical chairs.
The US Travel Association called it the Taylor Swift Impact after she generated over $5 Billion in just the first 5 months of the Eras Tour. But how does this work? It’s not like Taylor is printing more money at those shows, but it almost is. Her tour dates are pretty much economic steroid shots for local businesses. Hotels are booked solid, restaurants are packed, and let's not even get started on the surge in friendship bracelet supplies.
“Swifties averaged $1,300 of spending in local economies on travel, hotel stays, food, as well as merchandise and costumes,” say the US Travel Association. “That amount of spending is on par with the Super Bowl, but this time it happened on 53 different nights in 20 different locations over the course of five months.” That’s not to say anothing of her effect on the actual Super Bowl and the entire NFL season thanks to her ball-throwing boyfriend.
It's like she's created her own micro-economy, and everyone's invited to the party. And unlike some economic theories that rely on wealth trickling down (spoiler alert: it doesn't), Taylor's wealth is more like a t-shirt cannon or the confetti at her shows — showering everyone around.
Donations that actually do good
Taylor isn’t just stepping into cities and calling it a night. She’s also not just throwing pennies at problems - she's making significant contributions that are changing lives. And more importantly, she's using her platform to encourage her fans to do the same.
She kicked off her tour with quiet donations to food banks in Glendale, Ariz., and Las Vegas ahead of the Eras Tour. Once the tour was in full swing, she continued this practice. In Seattle, she donated to Food Lifeline, a local hunger relief organization. In Santa Clara, she showed some love to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. And let's not forget about her $100,000 donation to the Hawkins County School Nutrition Program in Tennessee.
She’s been making similar donations overseas. Taylor Swift donated enough money to cover the food bills for an entire year across 11 food banks and & community pantries in Liverpool. Swift also covered 10,800 meals for Cardiff Foodbank and many more banks across the UK and EU. Her impact is so profound that her numbers are doing more to combat issues like hunger than the government.
Can billionaires actually be good?
One thing about me, I’m always ready and willing — knife and fork in hand — to eat the rich. Because fundamentally, can any billionaire really be good? In our late-stage capitalist horror story, the answer is usually no. Look how many of them are supporting the Trump campaign just to get some tax breaks.
But here's the thing - Taylor Swift might just be the exception that proves the rule. She's not perfect, sure. She still flies private jets and probably has a carbon footprint bigger than Bigfoot. But unlike most of the others in her tax bracket, she's not flaunting her wealth like it's a personality trait.
Take a look around. We've got billionaires trying to colonize Mars instead of, I don't know, helping people on Earth. In this context, Taylor's approach is more like Mackenzie Scott’s — Bezos’s ex-wife. She's not trying to escape to another planet - she's trying to make this one better.
And look, I'm not saying we should stop critiquing billionaires or the system that creates them. But she's just setting the bar for what we should expect from all billionaires. She's showing us that our collective power as fans can translate into real-world change. That our love for catchy choruses and bridge drops can somehow, improbably, lead to food banks getting funded and crew members getting life-changing bonuses.
So sorry to my neighbors who hear me belting “Cruel Summer” and “right where you left me” at the top of my lungs (and range). Just know it’s for the greater good.
SPEAKERS CORNER - Tech Founders Talking
A series by tech entrepreneurs, anonymous… or not
A Future for Philanthropy and Innovation
We are living in a time of unprecedented crisis, with conflict, the fallout from COVID-19 pandemic, and climate change increasingly driving more people to the brink of poverty, displacement and survival. Over 100 million people are displaced around the world. And price inflation is reversing a great number of the development gains made in recent years, plunging millions back into poverty. In many countries, the space for free, open, and democratic civil action and discourse is shrinking.
In parallel, innovation across technology, science, and industry is accelerating at an unprecedented pace. Companies and individuals are achieving truly astonishing feats that have the potential to change our world. Never before has the world's population been so globally connected.
While innovation is undoubtedly present in humanitarian and development contexts, so much more could be done to bridge the gap between innovators, philanthropists, non-profit organizations, and the people in need around the world. In fact, it’s often the people experiencing crisis who are the greatest innovators and can ideate and deliver the most effective solutions. But they need support – be it financial resources, access to technology, or training and mentorship.
It’s in this global, uneven context that I believe a "call to arms" is needed to convene the talent, resources, visionaries, and experts required to affect urgently-needed change at the scale needed in our world. We must think of fresh ways of working together. We must be open to exploring and accepting approaches and ideas that don’t fit the traditional mould. These may diminish the powerfuls’ might, challenge our traditional models, and even transform the very structures and hierarchies that we consider beyond questioning.
Now is the right time to consider opportunities and novel ways of working that can unlock and unleash the huge power of philanthropy when it engages the right stakeholders in a purpose-driven way. To address the global challenges we face, it’s necessary to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders, including philanthropists, non-profit organizations, and people in need. By working together, we can find innovative ways to tackle the crisis and create positive change. This will require a shift in mindset and a willingness to think outside the box.
The use of mobile technology is an apt example of one grassroots innovation that has the potential to truly create change. In many developing countries, mobile phones are widely available and can provide a valuable tool for connecting people with the resources they need.
By leveraging this technology, organizations can provide people in crisis with access to vital information and services, such as medical care, food, and shelter. While this has been around for a while, there’s now an opportunity for rapid acceleration in the delivery of services via telecommunications infrastructure. That’s everything from access to financial credit, to distributed ledger banking, to training of community midwife volunteers in remote and underserved regions.
Another way to bridge the gap between innovators and those in need is to provide funding and support to individuals and grassroots organizations. This can help empower people to come up with their own solutions to the challenges they face and take ownership of their own development. By providing access to resources and expertise, philanthropists and non-profit organizations can help foster innovation and drive positive change. We can then see a multiplier effect when we combine these resources with the expertise, skills and radical thinking that exists amongst innovators, companies and next generation philanthropists. This combination can be a potent force for change at scale.
But where can this impetus come from? The United States has long been a leader in the humanitarian space, providing significant funding to organizations that are working to address global challenges. The US is also home to the world’s most successful and innovative private sector companies. It’s no coincidence that the progress we see in technology, pharmaceuticals, health and food science comes from American businesses.
This leadership, across the public and private spheres, can be leveraged to support and encourage the development of startling approaches to addressing crisis and promoting development. By bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders and working together, we can unlock the power of philanthropy. No longer should we be content with building a school and placing a plaque on its wall – we should accept no less than every child in the world having access to a full and free education. With the relentless wave of connectivity washing over continents and countries, this is no longer a distant aspiration – it is possible in the short term if we collectively pursue it.
However, it is not only the responsibility of philanthropists and non-profit organizations to drive innovation and beneficial change. Governments also have a crucial role to play in creating the conditions for innovation to thrive. This includes providing the necessary infrastructure, such as reliable electricity and internet access, as well as creating a supportive legal and regulatory environment. Across the world, as we see increasing political instability, civil society squeezed and in extreme cases, states collapse, geo-political actors must recommit themselves to ensuring the provision of stable, free societies where the wellbeing of citizens and vulnerable communities is prioritised above all else.
In addition to the efforts of philanthropists, non-profit organizations, and governments, there are many examples of innovative solutions being developed and implemented by grassroots organizations and individuals. One such example is my own organisation, the Irish non-profit humanitarian agency, GOAL.
GOAL has been working for over 45 years to tackle global challenges, including the provision of humanitarian assistance in conflict and disaster contexts. We currently operate in 14 countries, including Syria, Ukraine, and have in recent months being scaling up our response to the Venezuelan crisis where we are supporting refugees and migrants in Columbia.
The organization has a strong track record of implementing innovative solutions to address the needs of the communities it serves. For example, GOAL has developed a mobile-based platform that allows communities to monitor their own food security and alert authorities to any potential shortages. This low-tech solution has proven effective in improving food security and reducing the risk of famine in the communities where it has been implemented.
In addition to low-tech solutions, the organization also recognizes the potential of high-tech innovations to drive positive change. GOAL is a member of the United Nations' Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, which is focused on harnessing the power of data and technology to drive sustainable development. This partnership brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, and academia, to develop and implement innovative solutions to global challenges, in particular those framed around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The SDGs are a set of 17 goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015, with the aim of ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring peace and prosperity for all by 2030. The tech community has the potential to make a significant contribution to achieving the SDGs. The rapidly advancing field of technology offers many opportunities for innovation that can drive positive change in areas such as health, education, and sustainable development.
For example, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning algorithms can help to improve the efficiency and accuracy of healthcare delivery, enabling doctors and nurses to provide better care to more people. In the field of education, technology can provide access to high-quality learning materials and resources, even in remote or underserved areas.
In the area of sustainable development, technology can help to improve the efficiency of resource use, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support the transition to renewable energy sources. For example, the use of smart grids and other technologies can enable the integration of renewable energy into the electricity grid, increasing the reliability and affordability of renewable energy.
The tech community can also contribute to achieving the SDGs through partnerships and collaborations with other stakeholders.
Ultimately, the key to driving sustainable development and addressing global challenges is the development and strengthening of resilient communities. Resilient communities are better able to withstand and recover from crisis situations, such as conflict or natural disasters. They are also more likely to be able to take advantage of opportunities for growth, development and innovation.
There are many factors that contribute to the resilience of communities, including access to basic services, such as healthcare and education, and the presence of strong social networks and support systems. However, technology can also play a crucial role in building resilience. For instance, mobile technology can be used to connect communities with the resources they need, register instances of abuse or corruption or deliver health care services in hard to reach places.
The global challenges we face require a coordinated response from a wide range of stakeholders, including philanthropists, non-profit organizations, governments, and the private sector. By working together and harnessing the power of both high-tech and low-tech solutions, we can drive innovation and support the creation of resilient communities that lie at the heart of sustainable development.