Toto guitarist Steve Lukather has weighed in on the ongoing discussion about Taylor Swift’s record-breaking tour revenues, calling out the idea that she personally pocketed $1 billion as misleading. During an interview, Lukather explained the hidden costs behind massive tours, revealing why the numbers aren’t as straightforward as they seem.
Speaking about the financial realities of touring, Lukather said: “People think, ‘Okay, Madonna had $1 billion tour. Taylor Swift…’ Do you think she took home a billion dollars? I can’t talk personally about her particular tour, but I know there’s hundreds of people on it, and there’s two stages flip-flopping, so you have twice the amount of crew. But she was on a bazillion dollar tour so she can afford to do that.”
Lukather emphasized that high-profile tours require enormous logistical efforts, which significantly reduce the net profits that artists actually take home. He pointed out that major stadium tours involve hundreds of crew members, accommodations, catering, and large-scale stage productions, all of which contribute to astronomical costs.
“And you know all the drama that goes with that. The m0re people you have out on tour the more dramatic it becomes,” Lukather added.
Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ has been widely reported as the highest-grossing tour of all time, surpassing the billion-dollar mark in revenue. Poison’s Bret Michaels celebrated the pop singer’s achievement last year, saying, “Taylor Swift, As a fellow Pennsylvanian, extending a sincere congratulations on all your success & to your amazing talent & your fans, band & crew, to Travis Kelce & all that brought a record-breaking Eras tour & positivity to the world! As your tour ends tonight in awesome Vancouver, may you continue to rock the world!!”
Tenacious D’s Jack Black revealed the previous year that Swift gave out $100,000 extra to each member of her crew, though. He even expressed a desire to be a roadie for her on the trek.
