Taylor Swift flew 178,000 miles last year, more than seven times around the world, according to a computer science student who tracks and publishes the flight data of the pop star’s private jets.
Mr. Sweeney, a 21-year-old junior at the University of Central Florida, has been using publicly available flight data to monitor the movements of Ms. Swift‘s aircraft. Earlier this year, he expanded his tracking endeavors by releasing a comprehensive video summary of her jet use on YouTube.
The video showcased the extent of Ms. Swift‘s air travel in 2023, equaling a distance that could circumnavigate the globe seven times, with an environmental impact amounting to about 1,200 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
“There’s so many people, it’s not really a competition for who’s the biggest polluter,” Mr. Sweeney said. “The one jet [of Ms. Swift‘s] that is used is maybe every couple of weeks now just between Tennessee and California. Since this new year, she’s not always used the jet for tour dates.”
Mr. Sweeney‘s tracking efforts have not been without consequences. In December, he received a cease-and-desist letter from Ms. Swift‘s legal representation, accusing him of contributing to stalker behavior — a claim further underscored by a connection between Mr. Sweeney‘s dedicated Instagram page and an incident involving an arrest outside Ms. Swift‘s Manhattan residence.
“While this may be a game to you, or an avenue that you hope will earn you wealth or fame, it is a life-or-death matter for our client,” the letter read. “Ms. Swift has dealt with stalkers and other individuals who wish her harm since she was a teenager … the reality has forced our client to live her life in a constant state of fear for her personal safety.”
Although Mr. Sweeney has faced scrutiny and was forced to shut down the Instagram account tracking Ms. Swift‘s jet movements, he argues that his work is rooted in transparency and should not be viewed as an invasion of privacy or a form of stalking.
Despite the legal challenges and public criticism from high-profile figures — including Elon Musk, who once offered Mr. Sweeney money to cease his tracking activities — he remains committed to sharing information with the public.
Ms. Swift‘s level of activity places her jet usage far above the average American but not not among the top 10 celebrity private jet users, a list that includes Travis Scott, Kim Kardashian, Mr. Musk, Beyonce and Jay Z, Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, Tyler Perry, Leonard Blavatnik, Kylie Jenner and Celine Dion.
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