In January 2005, he spent $200,000 using credit cards to obtain 5,000 memberships to U2's fan club. That allowed him to participate in the Internet presale via Ticketmaster to purchase tickets for the Vertigo Tour. Using computer programming (popularly known as "bots") he legally bought nearly every one of the 500 available general admission tickets for shows in Los Angeles, New York, and Boston, respectively, sparking outrage and disbelief among longtime members of the band's fan club. A month later, at the Grammy Awards, the band's drummer apologized to fans, "due to circumstances beyond our control."
