Atlanta stadium execs spent $600K in tax dollars – Business News
Executives on the taxpayer-backed company that owns Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium secretly blew over $600,000 on VIP World Cup seats — at the same time as they fretted that ticket costs had been “crazy” and “not the most prudent use of public funds,” The Post has realized.
As common soccer followers get frozen out by FIFA’s sky-high dynamic pricing, executives on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) used an unique backchannel to land a sweetheart deal for a luxurious suite and 270 premium World Cup seats to entertain shoppers on the home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, in response to inside emails.
President Trump, seen right here receiving the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA boss Gianni Infantino final December, advised The Post three weeks in the past he can be “disappointed” if extraordinary Americans couldn’t afford to attend the video games. AP
Behind closed doorways, the GWCCA’s high brass knew the optics had been horrible, in accordance to the emails obtained via a public information request.
In January 2025, chief business officer Joe Bocherer issued a crimson flag, warning colleagues towards dropping $442,750 on a 22-seat all-inclusive suite after executives realized their common VIP memberships didn’t embrace World Cup video games.
“We are starting to believe a suite at this time is not the most prudent use of public funds,” he wrote in an e mail, predicting the bins “will get cheaper as we get closer” in an obvious dig at FIFA’s costs.
Bocherer went on to notice that a cheaper different would come out at $21,000 per seat in comparison with the $37,000 per seat in the VIP box — though he nonetheless expressed disbelief on the stratospheric costs, in response to one emailed breakdown.
“Wow.. this is still crazy,” Bocherer wrote of the $21,000 seats.
GWCCA chief business officer Joe Bocherer warned towards spending a lot money on a VIP box – and took a swing at FIFA’s pricing strategy. Obtained by the NY Post
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is welcoming as many as eight World Cup video games during the month-long match that the US is collectively internet hosting with Canada and Mexico. AP
Nevertheless, by March of final yr, the bosses agreed to separate an $885,500 suite tab 50/50 with the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, a nonprofit that promotes town worldwide.
“Per direction (of) our board, the desire is for GWCCA to stay within a $3-400k-ish expense for FIFA 2026,” Bocherer stated in a later message on March 3, 2025.
Joe Bocherer, the GWCCA’s chief business officer, warned towards spending practically half a million dollars on a VIP box. GWCCA
The emails obtained by The Post fail to spell out a motive for the change of coronary heart, and a GWCCA spokeswoman declined to remark when requested.
The revelations come simply over three weeks after President Trump advised The Post completely that common Joes are being unfairly locked out of the worldwide match that’s being hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.
“We don’t have an agreement or a contract for the FIFA suite,” Pargen Robertson, the chief legal officer on the Atlanta-based company, advised The Post in an e-mail exchange with out elaborating.
A GWCCA spokeswoman confirmed that bosses had nonetheless gone forward and paid up, claiming the leisure of VIPs in the unique box would help with “attracting future conventions, trade shows, events, and tourism business.”
The Georgia Bulldogs, the reigning SEC champions, have additionally performed main video games on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Getty Images
But the fits didn’t stop there — returning in February to take advantage of their ties to the World Cup host committee to attain one other 270 premium seats throughout the eight video games to be performed in Atlanta for $170,000, invoices show.
That second haul, personally signed off by CEO Kevin Duvall, included blowing $70,000 on simply 36 tickets for a blockbuster semifinal match that quantities to an average of $1,944 per seat.
Premium tickets for that very same July 15 recreation presently prices $10,000, in response to a Post evaluation of FIFA’s official resale platform. Resellers equivalent to Ticketmaster offer related lower-bowl seats close to the pitch for simply over $8,200.
An bill reveals how GWCCA bosses got here back to scoop up more tickets later this yr as common followers slug it out in the resale market. Obtained by the NY Post
The Post has filed a sequence of freedom-of-information requests with 11 US host cities and the US authorities in regards to the World Cup ticketing fiasco. Georgia officers, who’re required to reply to such requests within three business days, had been the primary to offer paperwork.
The launched emails show how FIFA offers high officers and business executives the red-carpet therapy. The international soccer physique, a Swiss non-profit based mostly in Zurich, has typically granted unique allotments to reward the native insiders who ship the stadiums, security, and hype.
Georgia file custodians stated they had been unable to offer a listing of the VIPs set to benefit from the allocation regardless of repeated requests by The Post.
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the home of the NFL outfit Atlanta Falcons, the place cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. has been plying his commerce after being chosen in the 2020 NFL Draft. Getty Images
An company spokeswoman stated the swanky seats can be used “to engage current and prospective customers, strengthen relationships, and support efforts to attract future events and business to the state.”
The rep didn’t reply this outlet’s questions on how the seats had been distributed or instantly tackle the full quantity spent by its high brass.
She described the GWCCA as “a self-sustaining state authority,” including the match is “a once-in-a-generation opportunity” that may help increase business for the state of Georgia.
That actuality is more advanced, in response to its newest 2025 financial report.
MLS franchise Atlanta United additionally performs its home video games on the GWCCA-owned Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Getty Images
The funds reveals a one-off allocation of simply over $25 million in taxpayer money on its books, particularly earmarked for the World Cup, whereas raking in more than $10 million in resort and motel taxes from vacationer properties it operates.
The GWCCA additionally will get rent-free entry to state-owned venues such because the Georgia World Congress Center and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It is asking for $72 million from taxpayers in 2027 for upkeep work, in response to paperwork posted by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.
Aside from being the home of the Atlanta Falcons, the sporting enviornment additionally hosts video games involving Major League Soccer outfit Atlanta United and the Georgia Bulldogs.
The World Cup ticket furor has exploded into outright scandal in current weeks, with President Trump completely telling The Post that even he wouldn’t pay the $1,000 resale costs for the USMNT’s opener towards Paraguay on June 12.
“I did not know that number,” the billionaire real estate mogul stated. “I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.”
A FIFA spokesman advised The Post the governing physique is “focused on ensuring fair access” and supplied 1,000 tickets at simply $60 for each group recreation that he known as “a very competitive price point for a major global sporting event in the US.”
GWCCA CEO Kevin Duvall was dialed in on the VIP ticket grab over the course of a number of months GWCCA
The group additionally defended its “dynamic pricing” and resale model as customary follow for giant US sports activities occasions.
But overseas followers are boycotting in droves anyway, livid over the sky-high costs. The backlash threatens to torpedo the $40 billion financial windfall US host cities had been banking on, in response to an industry research by the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
Nearly 80% of operators in 9 of the 11 host cities say reservations are working nicely behind projections, although more than 5 million tickets have already been offered. Those empty rooms recommend that vulture-like scalpers have scooped up many of the seats.
Whether Americans are pumped for the spectacle or not, they’re nonetheless footing the invoice.
The feds have labeled each recreation as a ‘national special security event’ owing to heightened fears that terrorists or criminals may strike.
More than $1 billion in federal taxpayer money has already been earmarked by FEMA to deal with potential threats.
