Fyre Festival - laugh long, laugh loud

[pesh]

he definitely deserves a bit of jail time, but i'd like to see him get some kind of award as well

 

[ddraig]

A documentary on the disastrous Fyre Festival fiasco is coming to Hulu

 

[Badgers]

Two attendees of disastrous Fyre festival awarded $2.5m each

 

[editor]

Two attendees of disastrous Fyre festival awarded $2.5m each

"Rich cunts with access to hotshot lawyers get even more money"

eth Crossno and Mark Thompson each paid $13,000 for VIP tickets to the festival on the Bahamas island of Great Exuma, which, following promotion by social media influencer supermodels such as Bella Hadid, was set to feature music from Migos, Major Lazer and Blink-182 in a luxurious setting. The festival quickly became notorious though, when the accommodation turned out to be dome tents and the food cheese sandwiches; attendees also found themselves stranded at the airport when they tried to leave.

Crossno and Thompson filed a lawsuit in May 2017, and were awarded damages based on losses for hotels and flights as well as the “mental anguish” they faced. “This was more than just a scam,” Crossno said. “It was fraud that was way over the top.” Their lawyer Stacy Miller said that McFarland “lured these young men away from their homes to another country. It was a very dangerous and scary situation.”

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

It's like a fight where you want to see both sides knocked out simultaneously

 

[Celyn]

$2.5 million? That doesn't seem to make any sense.

 

[Badgers]

$2.5 million? That doesn't seem to make any sense.

America

 

[Celyn]

It's like a fight where you want to see both sides knocked out simultaneously

and repeatedly.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

$2.5 million? That doesn't seem to make any sense.

Sounds like you need a dose of freedom.

 

[belboid]

Do any of the mega awards ever actually get paid out? Most times they seem to be vastly reduced to a semi sane amount on appeal.

 

[DaveCinzano]

It's like a fight where you want to see both sides knocked out simultaneously

 

[SpookyFrank]

Do any of the mega awards ever actually get paid out? Most times they seem to be vastly reduced to a semi sane amount on appeal.

Given that the organisers have already been fined a shitload of money and presumably won't have got liability insurance (and if they had, their negligence would surely render it invalid anyway) it seems unlikely they're going to have a spare 2.5 million to give every individual punter in compensation. It's utterly absurd to make compensation awards like that.

 

[Badgers]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/fyre-festival-scammer-sentenced-to-6-years-in-prison-for-fraud

 

[planetgeli]

I.Feel. So. Sorry. For. Him.

No. Seriously.

Honest. Cross my heart and hope to laugh outrageously.

 

[DaveCinzano]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/fyre-festival-scammer-sentenced-to-6-years-in-prison-for-fraud

The verdict gave solace to Joe Nemeth, one of McFarland’s victims: “It took me 20 years of saving my lunch money to save $180,000,” he told Vice, before noting that he and his wife can no longer retire.

$9k a year on lunch? That's around £30 a day

 

[mrs quoad]

$9k a year on lunch? That's around £30 a day

Yeah, I looked him up.

Saved up his “lunch money” for his retirement for decades, then punted $180k on a ludicrous venture for privileged dickheads headlined by a serial fraudster and two dozen instagram influencers.

Me <——————————————————————————— sympathy.

 

[DaveCinzano]

Yeah, I looked him up.

Saved up his “lunch money” for his retirement for decades, then punted $180k on a ludicrous venture for privileged dickheads headlined by a serial fraudster and two dozen instagram influencers.

Me <——————————————————————————— sympathy.

Indeed - he invested in several of McFarland's scams, presumably because he thought he was going to rake in a massive return from people even more gullible than him:

Victims of McFarland’s multiple scams gave their stories including Joe Nemeth who invested in McFarland’s schemes including Fyre Festival, a luxury benefits club called Magnises, and ticket scheme NYC VIP Access...

Fyre Festival fraudster Billy McFarland sentenced to six years in prison

If you'd built up a nest egg over twenty years that represented your entire retirement pot, would you punt it on something so sus?

 

[mrs quoad]

Indeed - he invested in several of McFarland's scams, presumably because he thought he was going to rake in a massive return from people even more gullible than him:


Fyre Festival fraudster Billy McFarland sentenced to six years in prison

If you'd built up a nest egg over twenty years that represented your entire retirement pot, would you punt it on something so sus?

Prolly the nest egg he earned from cashing out his South Sea shares and black tulip bulbs just before they jumped the shark

 

[mrs quoad]

I'd also wager that, after his name has made the headlines in this way, Mr Nemeth is currently f***ing *inundated* by phone calls and emails offering swift ways to recover his capital #rofl

 

[DaveCinzano]

I'd also wager that, after his name has made the headlines in this way, Mr Nemeth is currently f***ing *inundated* by phone calls and emails offering swift ways to recover his capital #rofl

#breakingnews

Nemeth currently Instagramming from a seminar about an exciting new opportunity:

 

[pesh]

 

[Badgers]

Inside the world's biggest festival flop

 

[Reno]

Two documentaries on the Fyre calamity got released at the same time, one on Netflix and one on Hulu. Having read a few reviews, the Netflix film which gets released today, has the edge:


Netflix’s Fyre and Hulu’s Fyre Fraud come at the same topic in different ways. One is better.

 

[Gromit]

Two documentaries on the Fyre calamity got released at the same time, one on Netflix and one on Hulu. Having read a few reviews, the Netflix film which gets released today, has the edge:


Netflix’s Fyre and Hulu’s Fyre Fraud come at the same topic in different ways. One is better.

Just saw the Netflix one. Thought they might come at it the poor customers put through hell angle and miss out the hah hah rich people suckered angle but they did cover the internet ridicule.

 

[Voley]

Netflix have been offering me a free month quite regularly recently - this has been enough to tempt me back. Quite looking forward to this. That cheese sarnie still gets a chuckle out of me I must admit.

 

[skyscraper101]

Just watched it. Fuck me, that organiser has an incredibly punchable face. I’d love to see him doing jail time now.

I’m quite happy to laugh at the twats who got scammed out of their elitist festival, but really felt for the islanders who lost way more. Especially that cafe owner who lost her savings.

Also all that money for a shitty lineup including Blink 182 and a DJ set by Disclosure

 

[Gromit]

Just watched it. Fuck me, that organiser has an incredibly punchable face. I’d love to see him doing jail time now.

I’m quite happy to laugh at the twats who got scammed out of their elitist festival, but really felt for the islanders who lost way more. Especially that cafe owner who lost her savings.

Also all that money for a shitty lineup including Blink 182 and a DJ set by Disclosure

There'll be a crowdfund set up for her off the back of this documentary. I've a feeling she'll do ok.

ETA: And here it is:

Click here to support Exuma Point- Fyre Fest Fiasco organized by Maryann Rolle

 

[skyscraper101]

There'll be a crowdfund set up for her off the back of this documentary. I've a feeling she'll do ok.

ETA: And here it is:

Click here to support Exuma Point- Fyre Fest Fiasco organized by Maryann Rolle

Oh that’s awesome. I hope she gets her 50k back, and thensome.

 

[Voley]

That's quite a documentary. Some interesting stuff about whether the main organiser is a sociopath. Fairly strong argument for it tbf, particularly as he immediately went into selling VIP tickets to other events that didn't exist when he was on bail for this fraud.

The bit where everyone was held at a bar being plied with tequila before going on to the site was just nuts. They still hadn't admitted the place wasn't built at that point. Insane.

Compelling viewing mind - well worth watching.

 

[wiskey]

That was interesting, I had no idea he immediately went on to scam people again - and they fell for it

It would have been interesting to hear more from the islanders.

The fact that they nearly pulled it off was bemusing, if they hadn't set such a short build time if they hadn't chod the same weekend as the islands biggest tourist event if it hadn't rained .... Would it have worked?

I felt very sorry for the people working on the app who were explicitly told not to get involved with the festival but ended up unemployed without benefits and out of pocket financially.

The people I didn't feel sorry for were the attendees!

But it could never have worked really, according to the figures in the film they or budgeted $1200 per person for food ... That's insane.

I'm glad the caterer has been crowd funded her savings.

Jah Rule is an arse.