EP25 - Ticket Scalpers

My coworker complained that concert tickets were $200.

She said they used to be so much cheaper. I just smiled.

I dont think she understanda.

The $200 ticket isn't the product. It's the bait.

The moment tickets went on sale, my army of bots bought the entire inventory.

The operation is run by a HFT quant team I keep in Shanghai.

The tickets instantly reappear on the resale platform, which, of course, I'm heavily invested in.

Now the price is $500.

She's not paying the artist. She's paying me.

The real genius begins after she grits her teeth and clicks "Checkout."

Service Fee. Venue Surcharge Fee. Digital Authentication Fee.

The Fee Fi Fo Fum Fee.

Each one is a separate, calculated paper cut.

Too small to make her abandon the cart. Just big enough to bleed her devotion dry.

If she exits the site, she will not get back the chance to buy the ticket and she knows it.

I didn't just corner the market on tickets. I cornered the market on her desire, then taxed it multiple different ways.

She thinks she's a fan. She's my most reliable, emotionally-driven passive income.

Follow me for more financial advice.

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Context

Fuck scalpers.

But as an artist, or limited edition producer, you LOVE scalpers and secondary markets.

Basically, you guarantee you sell your whole stock to the market at above MSRP rates and let the public take the risk of owning.

In trading, it's known as the "carry premium."

Hate the game, not the players.

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