Sead Dizdarevic is the official ticket scalper for the 2010 Winter Olympics for the US secondary ticketing market. And he's spent tens of millions to ensure his monopoly. At least that what the Seattle Times is saying in a recent article about the upcoming winter olympics to be held next door in British Columbia Canada.

Working behind the scenes for 25 years, Sead (pronounced "Sid") Dizdarevic has used his powerful personal connections with the Olympic elite to gain a lock on Olympic ticket and travel-package sales in North America, Europe, Australia and other places around the globe.

Dizdarevic stands to make millions, and allegedly, more than any other company in the events industry for the event. And he's done it all with tactics that might be construed by some as bribery.

Dizdarevic and his companies, Jet Set Sports and CoSport, have perfected the art of white-glove travel treatment for corporate elite and other "Olympic Family" members whose hefty contributions make the Games possible.

Dizdarevic's companies apparently handle all the official sales of tickets and travel packages to the U.S. public, and even all the package services in Canada... leaving many Canadian companies out of the loop. His companies amassed 125,000 tickets for Vancouver and Whistler — about 8 percent of the 1.6 million total.

But critics say all that exclusivity comes with a cost — one being borne solely by Olympic fans, the Games' consumers. Putting so many tickets in one man's hands, without competition, creates higher prices.

A decade ago, he was a key figure in the Salt Lake Olympic bid scandal, which jolted the international Olympic movement to its core. He admitted to doling out bundles of cash to curry favor with potential power brokers, Salt Lake officials seeking an Olympics for Utah.

Read more of this fascinating, in-depth article from the Seattle Times here.