Fyre Festival is the biggest piece of news to hit the entertainment industry in quite some time. We have been looking into the event for months now. It was lauded as the cultural event of the decade and has turned into a disaster of criminal negligence. The event reportedly has ended in the arrest of a co-founder in the Bahamas (more on that later). Take a look into the world of absurd privilege, unscrupulous business and exploitation. Below you will find all the pieces of the disturbing puzzle which ultimately led to a festival which took advantage of a country, made fraudulent claims and is now responsible for irreparable damage.
2014: Billy McFarland, Co Founder of Fyre Media Starts First Fraud Ridden Company
Billy Mcfarland drops out of Bucknell University located in Pennsylvania in order to start his own credit card company. Known as Magnises, the card was meant to replicate the American Express black card. Users could rapidly gain rewards such as attending concerts, plays, and elite restaurants. Business Insider reports that the company has fulfilled none of the promises. While Magnises continues to exist the Better Business Bureau refuses to accredits the company due to a pattern of complaints. Customers are promised trips to Cuba as well, which are canceled within a week of departure. The beginning of a pattern.
2014: Billy McFarland Is Sued By Property Owner For Damages Caused By Magnises Card Holders
Billy McFarland rents a $13,000 apartment to be used as a ‘party clubhouse’ for Magnises VIP. It ultimately ends up just being a place for him and his friends to party on company money. The owner claims the property was ‘maliciously vandalized’ and damages amount in the sum of $62,000. McFarland refutes the claims to this day.
2015: Billy McFarland and Ja Rule Meet Through ‘Mutual Interest’ and Create Fyre Media
Today, in an interview with Rolling Stone McFarland explained how Fyre Media came to be. He states that through the common interests of piloting, rap music, and the ocean he met his partner hip hop Mogul Ja Rule. Ja Rule is known most widely for being humiliated by Eminem and 50 Cent as well as running Murder K into the ground and selling it off for a mere $50,000. On a piloting excursion, after the two became friends, they landed in the Bahamas. The duo fell in love with the location. They created Fyre Media to order to bring their vision of a destination music festival to life.
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Story Via: EDM Sauce