Federal Investigation of Manhattan Party Promoter Over Fyre Festival Lawsuits

WNYC News | May 22, 2017

Last month's abrupt and dramatic collapse of the Fyre Festival was a textbook exercise in social media schadenfreude. It was billed as an ultra-exclusive musical getaway for wealthy millennials — run by rapper Ja Rule and headliners including Blink 182. But when the first guests arrived in the Bahamas, they found few of the luxuries they had been promised.

Now, 25-year-old organizer Billy McFarland and his Manhattan-based promotions company are facing a federal investigation after more than a dozen lawsuits have accused him of a laundry list of fraud charges. New York Times culture reporter Melena Ryzik joins WNYC host Jami Floyd.

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