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The controversial rapper was scheduled to perform two concerts in Putin’s birth city.
The rapper Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) collected roughly $20 million for two canceled concerts in St. Petersburg, business daily Kommersant reported on Thursday.
According to sources, he will not return the funds because his contracts lack refund clauses.
The payment was not entirely profit. Part of the $20 million budget was meant to cover touring crew and equipment. State media previously estimated his pure performance fee at 1 billion rubles, or roughly $11.7 million.
Organizers scheduled the shows for Oct. 10 and 11 at Gazprom Arena. But the venue pulled the plug late last month after political backlash over Ye’s past controversial statements.
Moscow promoter Say Agency stated the shows “will not be able to take place on the scheduled dates.” Agency head Anna Subcheva told Kommersant that competitors leaked fake correspondence. She added that “the artist himself later even sent a video proving that this wasn’t in his correspondence.”
Outraged ticket buyers
Say Agency promised ticket refunds starting Monday, Oct. 12. Yet dozens of frustrated buyers are taking the promoter straight to court.
At least nine civil lawsuits against Say Agency and ticketing agent Intickets have reached St. Petersburg courts. One buyer wants 34,000 rubles back for two tickets.
Another couple is seeking 123,200 rubles plus penalties for four tickets.
Preliminary court hearings begin early next month. Meanwhile, industry veterans argue that payout rules must change to protect consumers.
Nadezhda Solovieva, founder of concert agency SAV Entertainment, told Kommersant that ticket operators should never pay organizers before a show occurs. She noted that major Western platforms like Ticketmaster hold funds until performances take place.
Police launch investigation
The trouble goes beyond civil lawsuits. St. Petersburg police have launched a preliminary investigation into Say Agency over potential fraud, Kommersant reported.
Case materials are moving to Moscow for federal review. A source told Kommersant that “whether there are grounds for initiating a criminal case for fraud will be determined by the central office” of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Asked if Ye could still perform in Russia, Subcheva offered a cryptic response: “We’ll see.”
