It’s almost been four years since the inaugural (and only) Fyre Festival descended into Lord of the Flies-esque chaos on what was supposed to be a luxury island in the Bahamas. Now, a court has finally reached a decision on the settlement that will be awarded to the unfortunate attendees.
As reported by the New York Times, the $2 million class-action settlement reached in the US Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York earlier this week (April 13) will be split between 277 ticket holders. This puts each individual payout at approximately $7,220 each. However, the amount could ultimately be lower, depending on Fyre’s bankruptcy case with other creditors.
Some attendees of the doomed event — organised by serial scammer Bill McFarland and rapper Ja Rule — paid up to $12,000 for their tickets, only to find themselves trapped in the middle of nowhere, eating soggy cheese sandwiches and fighting over damp mattresses. Oh, and the acts didn’t turn up.
Last year, Kendall Jenner agreed to pay a $90,000 settlement after being sued for promoting the festival alongside the likes of Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski. Migos also agreed to pay out $30,000, though they reportedly received $100,000 to play at the event.
McFarland himself is serving six years in prison, having plead guilty to additional wire fraud charges. Even behind bars, he’s been testing the rules and regulations, landing himself in solitary confinement last year in connection with his prison podcast, aptly titled Dumpster Fyre.
“Billy went to jail, ticket holders can get some money back, and some very entertaining documentaries were made,” says Ben Meiselas, the lead lawyer representing ticket holders, on the new decision. “Now that’s justice.”
A hearing to approve the $2 million court settlement is set to take place on May 13.