Considering the blustering tornado of shit that was Fyre Festival, it’s easy to forget the failed venture’s intended purpose was to promote Fyre the app, a platform designed to facilitate talent bookings.
That entire wing of the business didn’t have much to do with the fest’s nightmare outcome, but leaked audio from a conference call confirms they’re still absolutely boned. Not-getting-paid-at-all boned.
The audio, obtained by VICE News, features Fyre founder Billy McFarland telling his remaining employees that “after conferring with our counsel and all financial people, unfortunately we are not able to proceed with payroll.”
Stunningly, McFarland doesn’t lay anyone off in the call. VICE News notes this may have been a strategic decision, as employees made redundant would be able to collect unemployment benefits. Instead, McFarland asks anyone willing to stay on to do without pay, with an eye to start handing out wages again in the future.
In response, an employee asks “so, to be clear, payroll’s not happening, but we’re not being let go, we’re all sort of… here?” McFarland said he needed to “circle back” regarding the legality of the issue, and asked anyone concerned to email him.
McFarland said “this will likely cause a lot of you to resign, which we totally get and understand,” before insisting that his venture isn’t capital-f Fucked.
Ominously, an employee also asks if Fyre ever had them on the books due to their consistent cash payments. Another straight-up asks about the FBI apparently sniffing around the entire organisation, based on the Feds’ check-up on another employee.
The nightmare call is just the latest thing McFarland and business partner Ja Rule will have to worry about, after the seventh – bloody seventh – lawsuit was filed against the disgraced business venture.
Listen to the whole thing HERE.
Source: VICE News.
Photo: @baldwinsupdate / @clarissa___cardenas / Instagram.
Source: VICE News.
Photo: @baldwinsupdate / @clarissa___cardenas / Instagram.
