Fyre Fest Founder, Billy McFarland Tells All — Transcript
Full transcript
- 0:00Were the accommodations at Firefest
- 0:01better or worse than the accommodations
- 0:03in prison?
- 0:03>> That's a good question. I plead the
- 0:05fifth on that one.
- 0:06>> So maybe instead of solitary
- 0:07confinement, they should have just made
- 0:09you live like a Firefest attendee for a
- 0:10year.
- 0:12>> Jesus Christ.
- 0:15>> That's crazy.
- 0:16>> He thought it was funny.
- 0:17>> I think good TV show.
- 0:19>> Billy McFarland has to live as a
- 0:20Firefest one attendee for 6 months. Can
- 0:22he survive?
- 0:23>> He gets cheese and bread and nothing
- 0:25else.
- 0:26>> We'll take 8 million off his restitution
- 0:28>> and and take influencers dancing all
- 0:31around them.
- 0:32>> You're like, "Sign me up for that." Hell
- 0:33yeah.
- 0:35>> Can I go now? Yeah.
- 0:42>> Wow. Big show tonight. Big We got a big
- 0:45show tonight. Billy. Um, what a what a
- 0:51legend. Firefest founder. Um, he started
- 0:55a credit card company.
- 0:56>> Prison Survivor.
- 0:57>> Prison Survivor. That's a big one. A lot
- 0:59of people don't really get get out of
- 1:02that. Um, Billy, how welcome to the
- 1:05show.
- 1:06>> Thank you. That's the uh top of my
- 1:08resume. Prison survival.
- 1:09>> Tell tell us what prison's like. I want
- 1:11I kind of want to know what what's
- 1:13what's prison like uh for a guy like
- 1:16>> Seems like the sign seems like the sign
- 1:18on the wall where it says break rules,
- 1:19make money applies to most of the guys I
- 1:21met there. So,
- 1:25you guys know what's up.
- 1:26>> Yeah, man. It's uh so I was like, you
- 1:29know, it's like a lot of things going
- 1:31on. I mean, like what a what a what a
- 1:34career, Bill. I I don't know where to
- 1:36start here. Um one of one of the things
- 1:39I kind of want I'm curious is like uh do
- 1:42you take anything to like sleep at
- 1:44night?
- 1:44>> Like how do you like like do you take
- 1:47like a pill or do you do like a do you
- 1:49smoke weed? Like give us a little like
- 1:51synopsis on the dayto-day of of Billy
- 1:53McFarland.
- 1:56>> Damn. getting right into the into the
- 1:58thick of it. Um,
- 2:00>> I don't think I've tried any other drugs
- 2:01except for weed in my life. I get a lot
- 2:03of like, you know, how much cocaine are
- 2:05you doing comments? I've never tried it.
- 2:06I think I'd probably run through a wall
- 2:08and and kill myself and probably hurt
- 2:10other people as well. So, that's a good
- 2:12thing. But, it's got to be no drugs.
- 2:15>> I mean, like the judgment like uh it's
- 2:17got to be like a the judgment of people
- 2:19per how people perceive you versus who
- 2:22you actually are. It's like how much of
- 2:24it is false and how much is it is true?
- 2:29>> Good question. I certainly did a lot of
- 2:31upits
- 2:33and violated trust in people I cared
- 2:36about. So there's a lot that's wrong. I
- 2:39think the thing that I don't like and it
- 2:41kind of irked me the most is
- 2:43>> there was enough bad that that should
- 2:44stand alone. But of course, you know,
- 2:46fiction always sells more. So, it was
- 2:48always like weird to me how stories and
- 2:50narratives had to be told when there was
- 2:51like enough terrible to really focus on.
- 2:53So, the world's a weird place. Media is
- 2:56a weird weird industry and it's been
- 2:58quite the ride.
- 2:59>> Yeah. And like what about like did you
- 3:01feel like you had to play full on heel
- 3:03like a wrestler?
- 3:05I had to play full on you,
- 3:07>> you know, like you kind of like egg on
- 3:09to the thing, you know, like after like
- 3:12>> you kind of double down on it a little
- 3:14bit.
- 3:16>> Probably. I I certainly doubled down. I
- 3:19think the the more the people get pissed
- 3:22off, the more that the people who are
- 3:24our customers or our partners, the more
- 3:27interesting they feel and proud they
- 3:28feel to be part of like a, you know,
- 3:29kind of counterculture movement. So, I
- 3:31definitely think that there's some
- 3:33business I hope there's some business
- 3:35sense in in continuing whatever the the
- 3:38war may be.
- 3:39>> Yeah, totally. Like I was like, you
- 3:40know, like there's got to be some What
- 3:42was What do you think the scariest
- 3:43moment in your life was?
- 3:46>> Uh scariest moment? I think being in
- 3:49front of a judge who, you know,
- 3:51singularly had the power and the ability
- 3:54to smack her gavvel and decide how many
- 3:57years of my life I would spend in jail.
- 3:59H
- 4:00what was that day like when you when
- 4:02you're about to have your verdict?
- 4:05>> I was sentenced to 6 years. Uh I was 25
- 4:08or 26 to the time and up until that
- 4:11point I'd been like living every day by
- 4:13the hour, you know, trying to pay bills
- 4:15by the hour, trying to survive by the
- 4:17hour. And just to hear 6 years, couldn't
- 4:20really fathom that that period of time.
- 4:21It was super long and scary.
- 4:23>> I bet. Man, it's I think about like
- 4:25what's what were the scariest moments of
- 4:27Firefest like when it was when was about
- 4:29to go down? Like
- 4:30>> did you ever think you were like in
- 4:31physical danger?
- 4:34>> Not really. I think a lot of that was
- 4:36was played up. Um the the victims were
- 4:40mostly the investors and there's, you
- 4:42know, people I let down like who were
- 4:44kind of collateral damage which is
- 4:45awful. But I think this whole idea like
- 4:47oh Bohemians weren't paid and they're
- 4:49trying to kill them. I think that's all
- 4:50kind of BS and I wish that wish that
- 4:52true story there was told. So the safety
- 4:54factor wasn't there. I think when really
- 4:56hit the fan was when the our number two
- 4:58record head of operations told me that
- 4:59three people had gotten killed at the
- 5:01festival and no one was hurt at all. It
- 5:03it was totally [ __ ] Like that was
- 5:04the
- 5:04>> oh no one got what the [ __ ] is
- 5:06happening. No one got hurt. No no one
- 5:08was even slightly hurt. But like I was
- 5:09told that and like in the moment
- 5:10believed it and that was like like what
- 5:12literally started turning airplanes
- 5:13around in the air to go back home.
- 5:15>> Dude, all that's that's insane. What
- 5:18about Okay, I'd be more scared of these
- 5:21billionaires trying to kill you than the
- 5:23Bohemians, dog. I watch too many of
- 5:25these blue collar or white collar films,
- 5:27dude.
- 5:27>> We all know about billionaires and
- 5:28islands.
- 5:28>> We know about billionaires and islands.
- 5:30Yeah. I I've told one person in my life
- 5:33this and I don't know why I'm doing this
- 5:35now at the I was at the right time or
- 5:36not but I I attempted to do a podcast
- 5:39from the pay phone in jail and they took
- 5:41me to solitary conf bad idea for anybody
- 5:44listening but um they took me to
- 5:47solitary confinement for 7 months.
- 5:48>> Oh my god.
- 5:49>> And they pulled me out of the cell you
- 5:51know 2 months in. They questioned me on
- 5:53something I had no idea what they were
- 5:55asking me about. And the exact quote
- 5:56from this person in charge who's, you
- 5:58know, fairly powerful official said,
- 6:01quote, "This is the type of thing where
- 6:02the wrong person gets transferred to
- 6:03your cell and your family's reading
- 6:05about your suicide."
- 6:06>> Oh my god. I mean, let's look what
- 6:09happened.
- 6:10>> This may be This is like 12 months after
- 6:12Epstein died. So,
- 6:14>> what the
- 6:15>> Oh, because of because of one of the
- 6:17investors, not somebody else in prison
- 6:18with you. This was from the outside
- 6:20you're being asked about. I I I think
- 6:22they mean that that their point was that
- 6:23there's someone who could who's not
- 6:25there who could, you know, make
- 6:26>> make you not there. Yeah.
- 6:28>> Oh my god. Um, how much money did you
- 6:31actually lose there?
- 6:35>> A lot.
- 6:36>> Yeah.
- 6:36>> Uh, 30 30 million plus.
- 6:38>> And you're still paying that back,
- 6:39right? Correct. Like a part of your
- 6:41proceeds forever.
- 6:43>> Exactly. So every month I have to pay a
- 6:45check and it's a percentage of my
- 6:46income. So whether I earn $10 or $10
- 6:48million and I'm not making 10 million,
- 6:50right? But a percentage goes back to
- 6:52>> interest.
- 6:53>> What's it feel like to ow to owe the
- 6:55government that much for the rest of
- 6:56your life?
- 6:58>> Really good question.
- 7:01>> Um it's kind of weird because when when
- 7:03I'm not making, you know, I have like
- 7:04months where, you know, bad months where
- 7:06income is super low and then no one
- 7:07cares and then the second you have like
- 7:09a good month and like do all right, then
- 7:11like the people come at like every
- 7:12angle. So it's kind of this like up
- 7:15thing where it's almost designed to make
- 7:16you not want to want to work. And
- 7:17obviously I'm doing the opposite. But
- 7:19yeah, it's kind of like kind of weird
- 7:20where as soon as you start like doing
- 7:21semi okay, then it just becomes like
- 7:24more expensive to actually work and to
- 7:25not work. Yeah.
- 7:26>> Well, it feels like you're you're just
- 7:28working for the government now. You're
- 7:30not working for yourself. So for real.
- 7:32So how do you departmentalize that in
- 7:34your head to keep working if if it's not
- 7:35for you, it's for them?
- 7:38>> I just remember having a conversation
- 7:39with with one of the entities that are
- 7:41one of the government entries that are
- 7:42owed and it's like, "All right, well, if
- 7:44you're making $10 a month on this, we
- 7:45want 12." I'm like, "Well, why why
- 7:47wouldn't you just sit home and play
- 7:48video games?" Like, how does that like
- 7:49how does that make sense? Like like how
- 7:51am I losing money to to to work? So,
- 7:53it's kind of weird.
- 7:54>> Yeah. I read I read during your like
- 7:56during your probation you were required
- 7:57to work like 30 hours a week at like a
- 8:00regular job basically. Was that true?
- 8:02And also like how did that feel? Cuz
- 8:04obviously you're not wired for that. So
- 8:06was that worse than solitary confinement
- 8:08or
- 8:10>> So the only time that that was actually
- 8:11true was during um like a halfway house
- 8:14which I was at for 4 months. Okay.
- 8:16>> So, it was a pretty pretty short period
- 8:17of time and just went and worked for,
- 8:19you know, a friend's company, but yeah,
- 8:20it was like three and a half or four
- 8:21months. It was pretty short.
- 8:22>> What kind of job were you working?
- 8:25>> Uh, it was I'm not going to say the
- 8:27company's name, but a friend is a tech
- 8:28company. So, you know, tech startup in
- 8:29in New York. Yeah.
- 8:30>> Okay.
- 8:31>> What What I I'd be curious about uh your
- 8:35real friends when this went down. How
- 8:38what could you find out who your real
- 8:40friends were versus the people who just
- 8:42ditched you immediately?
- 8:45You know what the craziest thing is? Is
- 8:46if you asked me like 10 years ago to put
- 8:48down write down five people that would
- 8:50have stuck around and five people that
- 8:51would have left, I I probably would have
- 8:53gotten every single one wrong.
- 8:54>> Really?
- 8:56>> Mhm. And that was like one of the
- 8:57weirdest things for like just like life,
- 8:59you know, smacking you in the face type
- 9:01of thing. Would have gotten everyone
- 9:02wrong.
- 9:03>> Did that hurt you?
- 9:06>> For sure. And I think it's like it's
- 9:07made more sense over time, but I think
- 9:08the ones that that I gave the most to
- 9:11were the first to leave because, you
- 9:13know, they were around for the free. And
- 9:15ironically, some of the people I hurt
- 9:16the most,
- 9:18>> they're the ones that stayed. And so it
- 9:20kind of like it makes sense but doesn't
- 9:21make sense. It was like a really weird
- 9:23thought process.
- 9:24>> Who are who are more pissed off at you,
- 9:27people of public like a jaw rule or
- 9:29investors?
- 9:32Um, the biggest investors are the most
- 9:34understanding, which I think is like,
- 9:37>> yeah,
- 9:37>> I think it's counterintuitive, but I
- 9:38guess it's not. But like if you made
- 9:40probably lose a bunch, but yeah, they're
- 9:42they're always they're used to it.
- 9:43>> It's a numbers game. It's Yeah,
- 9:45>> I think if if if you've made $2 billion,
- 9:47you've seen some. So, I think it's like,
- 9:49oh, whatever. It's like, you know, I
- 9:51lost one. I I won 10. Like, I'll be all
- 9:52right. It's like the the smaller
- 9:54investors are probably the ones that are
- 9:55the most mad who, you know,
- 9:57>> the risk
- 9:57>> thought this was their chance to make
- 9:59Yeah. you know, I'm gonna take give you
- 10:00five grand and make, you know, 500
- 10:02million off this and like I'll do it.
- 10:04Like those are the ones that got the
- 10:05most pissed.
- 10:06>> Hey guys, it's Andy and I want to talk a
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- 10:44guys. Maybe I'll even pay Nick more. You
- 10:46never know.
- 10:49What about like what was your
- 10:51conversations like with draw rule
- 10:52afterwards? like was he so pissed or did
- 10:54was this like a thing or like any any of
- 10:56the public figures like the guys who
- 10:58were going to like take a bunch of the
- 11:00grunt from the media were I was curious
- 11:02about those guys more.
- 11:04>> My last last interaction with Jaw Rule
- 11:06was uh my lawyer called me in and said
- 11:09um Jaw Rule is going in to cooperate
- 11:11with the government tomorrow. And I said
- 11:13what does that mean? And he said if you
- 11:15talk to him again I'm not going to
- 11:16represent you. So never spoke with him
- 11:18since.
- 11:18>> Holy.
- 11:19>> Do you want to speak with him? Do you
- 11:21want to speak with him?
- 11:22is no interest.
- 11:24>> Yeah. What about your lawyer? Um, tell
- 11:26me about how he approached this whole
- 11:28thing. Was he was he good to you? Was it
- 11:30hard or you still have him in your life?
- 11:35>> I think from the lawyer side, they did
- 11:36they did a great job. Like I I was black
- 11:38and white guilty, so there's not really
- 11:40much you can do.
- 11:41>> Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah. There wasn't
- 11:43like a big Yeah. Yeah. Respect.
- 11:45>> Yeah. There's not We can argue this like
- 11:48it's all on paper. It's You signed it.
- 11:50Yeah. It's all It's all on paper and
- 11:52like there's not
- 11:54>> Yeah,
- 11:55>> there's not much we can really do. Uh I
- 11:57think the weird thing was just like
- 11:58meeting different people throughout the
- 12:00process who got either like more time or
- 12:02less time and then like thinking my
- 12:03thing was either too short or too long
- 12:05and like I've never, you know, I never
- 12:07thought otherwise, right? It was always
- 12:08either I got too long and didn't get
- 12:09enough and that was kind of a weird
- 12:11process.
- 12:11>> What about your mental health through
- 12:13that thing? Did you ever um like think
- 12:16about suicide or like how you were so
- 12:18alone, man. Like I that's a hard time. I
- 12:21mean
- 12:21>> it is up what happened and what you did
- 12:23and stuff but also you as a human I
- 12:26still you know think about your heart
- 12:28and your mind like how was that how are
- 12:30you going through there?
- 12:32>> Thank you. Good question. I think the
- 12:34weird thing is before everything
- 12:36collapsed the people around me probably
- 12:38overestimated my abilities, right? I had
- 12:40tons of employees and people like that
- 12:42and they were all kind of like go go
- 12:43like the yesmen. And then when things
- 12:45went wrong, it went from like, hey, he
- 12:48he can't even figure out how to work at
- 12:49an ice cream shop, right? We need to
- 12:51like treat him like he's like he's he's
- 12:53like totally challenged. So it was like
- 12:54the total like opposite ends of the
- 12:56spectrum. And it was kind of weird just
- 12:58seeing like you know friends and family
- 12:59go from like oh you can do anything to
- 13:00oh like hey like where can he even live
- 13:03in her basement? Like is he capable of
- 13:05that? So
- 13:06>> weird process.
- 13:07>> That's I mean you must have been super
- 13:08alone man. I would do you what about
- 13:10suicide? Would you ever you is that ever
- 13:12cross your mind?
- 13:13>> No. That's good.
- 13:14>> Never. Never.
- 13:15>> How'd you convince these super
- 13:17millionaires to give $26 million to a
- 13:2025-year-old kid?
- 13:22>> Yeah. I think it's up. I I knew most of
- 13:24them for years before it and the
- 13:27majority of the money came from people
- 13:28who had invested in my previous
- 13:30businesses and they had seen small wins,
- 13:33small failures along the way. So, when I
- 13:35truthfully said I think this is the
- 13:36biggest opportunity, right, they didn't
- 13:38question it. But I think that was where
- 13:40the the trust was violated. Um, what
- 13:42were your business before this?
- 13:44>> I had a credit card company that you
- 13:46alluded to. Yeah. Called Magnesus.
- 13:48>> And then I had a tech company before
- 13:50that.
- 13:50>> Oh, that was like a social media link
- 13:52sharing thing, right?
- 13:54>> Exactly. Exactly.
- 13:56>> So, what made you want to do another
- 13:58Firefest? Or was that a
- 14:01what was your what was your philosophy
- 14:03on that?
- 14:04>> It's really hard to do anything after
- 14:06jail, right? Like people are scared to
- 14:07touch you.
- 14:08>> I know. You see that with people getting
- 14:10jobs in prison too, like you know, like
- 14:12even like little jobs.
- 14:14>> The music industry is already crazy
- 14:16enough. Like,
- 14:16>> yeah,
- 14:18>> it's hard. And I think the one thing
- 14:19that I'm lucky is to have these media
- 14:21opportunities, right? I think
- 14:23>> media is the one industry where they'll
- 14:25still have you on because it serves
- 14:27them. So like the big media companies
- 14:28aren't scared to, you know, have me
- 14:30whether it's for a show or an interview
- 14:31or whatever, but other industries are.
- 14:33So
- 14:34>> yeah,
- 14:34>> kind of had to had to lean into that,
- 14:36right? And I feel like going into the
- 14:38belly of the beast was the best way to
- 14:40create some opportunity and try to get a
- 14:42team and and get a chance to get back to
- 14:43work.
- 14:44>> Yeah. And like, you know, I'm not saying
- 14:45this like ignorantly. I'm just asking
- 14:47you like, do you have remorse? Is that
- 14:50in you?
- 14:51>> Oh, for 100%.
- 14:53>> Yeah. And as you get older, do you feel
- 14:55like you become more sensitive to
- 14:56remorse?
- 15:00>> I think I've gone through periods of
- 15:03like how I've self- internalized the
- 15:05guilt, right? There were some days where
- 15:06I'm like, I'm the world's worst person
- 15:08and then, you know, some days something
- 15:10happens or I see something else and I'm
- 15:11like, okay, like I I have a chance,
- 15:13right? I'm not as bad as this guy. So,
- 15:15it's been kind of kind of this weird
- 15:16like cycle. And I think the weirdest
- 15:18thing is especially for the first like
- 15:20year after jail, every single person I
- 15:22met, they they try to whether connect or
- 15:24confide, they all told me like the worst
- 15:26things they've ever done. I'm like, wow.
- 15:27I'm like
- 15:31>> they're just trying to relate with you
- 15:32LIKE I WENT TO PRISON. I WENT TO PRISON
- 15:34FOR THIS.
- 15:35>> SO, who do you who do you feel worse for
- 15:36in the fire? Like, who do you feel the
- 15:38worst for in the Firefest situation?
- 15:41>> I think one, you know, family who had
- 15:43nothing to do with my work at all,
- 15:45right? And they kind of became the real
- 15:46victims from the jail and the media and
- 15:48all that all that BS. And then two, the
- 15:50people who I knew the longest, I think
- 15:51the investors who were like good people
- 15:54and they backed me when I was a young
- 15:55kid, right? And just like wanted to
- 15:57wanted to like give me a shot. I think
- 15:58those the ones I I let down the most.
- 16:00>> What about like the local Bahamians and
- 16:02stuff? Are they still getting paid back
- 16:03or is that
- 16:05>> Yeah, I think like that's like the worst
- 16:06part of the story for me and and I don't
- 16:08know how to like say this right. I'm not
- 16:11going to say it right, but that story is
- 16:12[ __ ] Like they were, you know, they
- 16:13were paid millions and millions of
- 16:14dollars and I think we really helped
- 16:16tourism wise. So I think it's tough to
- 16:18like approach it so bluntly, but the I
- 16:21didn't see the dock, but the woman who
- 16:23claimed to be owed this money, this doc,
- 16:25you know, never knew she existed. Like
- 16:26it's just it's not real. So it's a it's
- 16:28a tough situation. So when did you start
- 16:30knowing that uh media and everyone was
- 16:33um flipping the story like uh you know
- 16:35there's like a tipping point in media
- 16:38where the this the propaganda starts
- 16:40getting really crazy.
- 16:42I think I was doing like one interview
- 16:44after and I was so like focused on the
- 16:47guilt to the investors and they just
- 16:49didn't care about the investors like oh
- 16:51what about this? What about this? I'm
- 16:52like no like I legitimately hurt these
- 16:54people who like believed in me and they
- 16:56just like they couldn't have cared less.
- 16:58I think people just it was the media
- 17:00realized it's harder to make somebody
- 17:01feel bad for a super wealthy person who
- 17:03lost money, right? And it's easier to
- 17:05make someone feel bad for someone who
- 17:07seemingly was taken advantage of who has
- 17:09nothing. So I think that's kind of like
- 17:10what twisted it the most.
- 17:13>> Oh, do you ever run into like people
- 17:15that attended the festival like when
- 17:16you're walking around New York or
- 17:18anything?
- 17:18>> All all the time. I've met three I was
- 17:21talk talking to somebody earlier. I met
- 17:22three couples who met at Fire Festival
- 17:24who got married after. So I think that
- 17:26was pretty cool. So, what's their
- 17:27reaction towards it? The people who are
- 17:29actually there.
- 17:31>> Uh, I think secretly most of them had a
- 17:33good time.
- 17:34>> Oh my god.
- 17:35>> Really? That's crazy. That's crazy.
- 17:38>> I don't know. I saw those sandwiches.
- 17:40>> Yeah, that's
- 17:42So, that's my question. You know, like
- 17:44what were the accommodations at Firefest
- 17:46or worse than the accommodations in
- 17:48prison?
- 17:48>> That's a good question. I pleaded the
- 17:50fifth on that one.
- 17:51>> So, maybe instead of solitary
- 17:52confinement, they should have just made
- 17:53you live like a Firefest attendee for a
- 17:55year.
- 17:57Jesus Christ.
- 18:00>> That's crazy.
- 18:01>> He thought it was funny.
- 18:01>> I think good TV show.
- 18:03>> Billy McFarland has to live as a
- 18:05Firefest one attendee for 6 months. Can
- 18:07he survive?
- 18:08>> He gets cheese and bread and nothing
- 18:10else.
- 18:10>> We'll take 8 million off his restitution
- 18:13>> and and Tik Tok influencers dancing all
- 18:15around him.
- 18:17>> You're like, sign me up for that. Hell
- 18:18yeah.
- 18:20>> Can I can I go now?
- 18:21>> Who are the who are who are meaner? the
- 18:23the influencers or um like the people
- 18:26who were you guys because you hired a
- 18:28ton of influencers to go down there. Do
- 18:30you regret doing that now and just let
- 18:34the festival just be awesome as it
- 18:37supposedly was going to be? I wasn't
- 18:40>> awesome. It's like as as stupid and like
- 18:43granular as it sounds. Uh I made one
- 18:45decision the day of that ruined it. And
- 18:47like if that decision wasn't made, there
- 18:49still would have been a festival. People
- 18:50were arriving like ear
- 18:52>> people were arriving early in the
- 18:53morning and I felt like it didn't look
- 18:55good enough. No. Right. So instead of
- 18:57just saying like all right like let's
- 18:58everybody come at 8 a.m. when they're
- 19:00sober and like get situated. We sent
- 19:02them to a beach on the other side of the
- 19:04island like with like a bunch of booze
- 19:05and boats and parties and then had them
- 19:07all come at 9:00 p.m. So they were like
- 19:10drunk and it was dark and like it was a
- 19:11thousand people instead of like 50
- 19:13people at a time and that kind of
- 19:14created the chaos. So a stupid idea
- 19:17really like that. I thought we could
- 19:18make it look great in however many hours
- 19:20and we couldn't and like it wouldn't
- 19:21really have mattered. Uh it was going to
- 19:23look bad anyway. So people should have
- 19:24just come when they were sober.
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- 21:17If you could have done it differently,
- 21:20what would you have more would you have
- 21:21made more time to prepare?
- 21:24>> Uh time and not lied to the investors. I
- 21:26actually think I would have raised more
- 21:27money if I didn't lie. I think for the
- 21:29most part they knew I was lying and they
- 21:32>> that we're just doing better than we
- 21:33were. M
- 21:35>> so I think I think they all knew I was
- 21:37lying and they were like investing
- 21:38despite of that and if I had told the
- 21:40truth they probably would have invested
- 21:42more. So I think like ironically it
- 21:43actually made it made it worse.
- 21:45>> Did any of
- 21:46>> Yeah, it's kind of weird you're saying
- 21:47that but we'll still do it right like it
- 21:49was a weird situation.
- 21:51>> Do you feel like they were hiding money
- 21:52like kind of this is just like a tax
- 21:54write off? They're like it if it fails
- 21:56it fails,
- 21:56>> right? No, I think they assumed like as
- 21:59it got closer they weren't going to make
- 22:00money on that festival, but had it had
- 22:03worked, they would have owned part of a
- 22:04brand that had a chance. So, I think
- 22:06that was kind of the logic at the end.
- 22:08>> That's um I'm curious about this. How do
- 22:12you keep Did you keep going with the
- 22:14credit card company after Firefest?
- 22:17>> I sold it for like pennies in the dollar
- 22:19maybe a month after. M I was also
- 22:22actually curious about the time with the
- 22:24ticket the ticket scam like when you
- 22:26were on bail for Firefest. Were you like
- 22:29it I'm already in so much trouble like I
- 22:30might as well just try this too or like
- 22:32what was the thought process there?
- 22:35>> Yeah, I think I still don't know how to
- 22:37justify that. It certainly was wrong. Um
- 22:39I think where like Fire Festival was so
- 22:42black and white like black being guilty
- 22:44the everything after was kind of a gray
- 22:46area and I shouldn't have been doing it.
- 22:48I don't think it was as drastic as
- 22:50stories had been told, but it was wrong
- 22:52and that was that was a time to like sit
- 22:54down and shut the up and I didn't do
- 22:55that and like said that's that's guilt
- 22:57in itself.
- 22:59>> What advice would you give young
- 23:01promoters starting festivals
- 23:04if they'll if if looking back at seeing
- 23:07a flop like this, what would you give
- 23:10advice to people starting new festivals?
- 23:14I
- 23:14>> mean, I don't think they make any money,
- 23:16so I think that's probably a bad
- 23:17motivation. I mean, we're we're
- 23:18musicians. I do I'm in the jam scene.
- 23:21So, like I do 40 festivals a year and I
- 23:23see these new guys new festival pop up
- 23:26all the time. I'm like,
- 23:27>> see, don't I won't see you next year
- 23:29>> or what? I don't want to say that, but
- 23:31it's like,
- 23:31>> you know what I mean, though? Like,
- 23:33being exaggerating, but
- 23:34>> it's a lot. It's a hard balance of how
- 23:36what the lineup is, the music, the bands
- 23:39on it, and how easy it is to get to the
- 23:42location, you know, like what what would
- 23:43you what advice would you give someone
- 23:46>> to do for if you're giving anyone advice
- 23:50about music festivals?
- 23:51>> I think it's just it's just not a good
- 23:53way to make money cuz I think music is
- 23:54so sexy that there's always going to be
- 23:56people who are paying artists more than
- 23:58they can make back because they want to
- 23:59be involved, right? So it's hard to
- 24:01actually make money when you're
- 24:02competing against people or someone
- 24:04who's like willing to lose because they
- 24:06want to be associated with a
- 24:10game. So I think it's tough.
- 24:12>> There is a cultural capital to it or for
- 24:14sure.
- 24:15>> 100% 100%. And you're going to be
- 24:16competing against somebody who has
- 24:18unlimited money, but they have zero
- 24:20cultural, you know, capital or status
- 24:22and they're willing to spend to that.
- 24:24>> That's why Jeff Bezos had his wedding on
- 24:25a yacht. Do you think Live Nation after
- 24:27seeing Do you think Live Nation after
- 24:29seeing your story was like
- 24:31>> yes
- 24:34>> a little attention driven away?
- 24:36>> A little tension driven away from the
- 24:37big colome like poor guy like you know
- 24:41what
- 24:42>> did you have Nation or AEG or anyone to
- 24:45like partner?
- 24:47>> No no no comment. So
- 24:49>> yeah. Oh yeah. That's that lawyer. Good.
- 24:52Good job Bill.
- 24:53>> He's on the other side. You're on the
- 24:55eye on the prize. I'm on the prize. Um,
- 24:58>> a couple.
- 24:58>> I don't want the wrong person getting
- 24:59transferred to my to my neighborhood and
- 25:01me getting deleted.
- 25:03>> But do you really feel like that could
- 25:05possibly that still is a possibility for
- 25:07you?
- 25:08>> Uh, probably. Who knows? Who knows?
- 25:11>> What if you stop pay more people to
- 25:13worry about?
- 25:13>> What if you just like say I'm done
- 25:15paying the government? What happens?
- 25:19>> I don't know. I I I don't want to know,
- 25:20but just like it's the the the income is
- 25:23up and down, right? There's there's good
- 25:24months, there's bad months. So, it's
- 25:25it's like it's it's spotty. I'm doing
- 25:28what I can do.
- 25:29>> Do you think you'll ever pay back the
- 25:31money?
- 25:33>> I think so. And whether it takes 2 years
- 25:35or 7 years or 47 years, I I have I have
- 25:37no idea.
- 25:38>> What What's your plan? Like, what are
- 25:40your business? What are you doing now to
- 25:42uh kind of get out of that hole?
- 25:46>> Well, we just finally did our festival
- 25:48in December, so that was cool.
- 25:49>> How'd that go?
- 25:50>> It was It was good. We rented a little
- 25:52island off the coast of Utilla, which is
- 25:54Honduras in the Caribbean. So, yeah,
- 25:57>> we did a 400 person little festival
- 25:59there on the island. It was great.
- 26:00>> Who played
- 26:01>> the Yeah. Uh, French Fontana was like
- 26:04the main act and we had Slim Jimmy from
- 26:07Ray Shremer. We had Bobby Scha.
- 26:08>> I watched some of the stream.
- 26:10>> Yeah.
- 26:11>> Seemed like there was a lot of locals
- 26:12there.
- 26:14>> Yeah, for sure. It was like 400 425
- 26:16people, so it kept it small. And you had
- 26:18a range of ticket packages up to like a
- 26:19million dollar package or
- 26:22>> uh we did.
- 26:24>> Did any Did anybody buy the
- 26:25million-dollar package?
- 26:27>> Uh not for that one. No, unfortunately.
- 26:29>> It comes with like a private jet from
- 26:31from Miami. What was it? It was like a
- 26:33private jet and a in a chef.
- 26:35>> You think people are worried that you're
- 26:36just going to put them on Spirit, Bill?
- 26:40>> I think that would have been best case
- 26:41scenario.
- 26:44>> That'd be the least of their worries.
- 26:46>> Oh man. No worries.
- 26:48>> I didn't get a check bag.
- 26:52>> I didn't get a check.
- 26:54>> Um,
- 26:55can we talk about your personal life a
- 26:57little bit, Bill? What What's it like um
- 26:59trying to be trying to be in love and
- 27:01trying to like tell like get intimate
- 27:04with someone and have them trust you
- 27:06from not having them see what you did in
- 27:09your past?
- 27:11>> Yeah, I always get asked that. Um,
- 27:14such a weird thing. I think like even
- 27:16just seeing friends and family when when
- 27:19I didn't see them for a period of time,
- 27:20they started thinking like they started
- 27:23believing things were worse than they
- 27:24really were just because the obviously
- 27:26the news, the stories, they'd hear it.
- 27:28And then I think for the first like year
- 27:29when I got released, I'd go and see
- 27:31someone for the first time and like 5
- 27:32minutes in you'd see him like snap back
- 27:34like, "Oh, like you're the same guy. I
- 27:36know the same strengths, the same flaws,
- 27:37like you know, it's like you're the same
- 27:39person." I think it just takes the
- 27:40FaceTime, but after that it's, you know,
- 27:42pretty quick to get back to normal with
- 27:43people I'm close with.
- 27:45Oh man, it's like it's or like falling
- 27:49in love like uh are you are you married?
- 27:51Have a girlfriend or anything?
- 27:53Was
- 27:54>> long time girlfriend. So
- 27:55>> long time girlfriend. She stuck with
- 27:56you.
- 27:57>> Yeah, she did. Yeah.
- 27:59>> Was that tough in the the beginning
- 28:01years? How'd you uh
- 28:02>> She's Yeah, she's crazier than me. So
- 28:05I'll respect I'll clap to that. That's
- 28:09>> We all need a crazy woman in our life.
- 28:12>> Um no comment.
- 28:13>> Oh man. Keep us on track.
- 28:15>> Yeah. Yeah. Keep My lawyer's saying no
- 28:16comment on the crazy woman thing.
- 28:19>> Are you guys married?
- 28:20>> Uh, no. Basically,
- 28:22>> he's basically I'm just a
- 28:25>> understood.
- 28:26>> I'm just been on the road for 15 years,
- 28:28you know, torn. So, no, not really.
- 28:31>> Um,
- 28:31>> any anytime soon or not?
- 28:32>> I think I think so. I think I'm almost
- 28:34ready to find love. I've found some, you
- 28:37know, it's nice.
- 28:38>> We'll get you to do your reality show.
- 28:39>> You found some pockets of it.
- 28:41>> Yeah, it does. What? Just Billy and Andy
- 28:43find love.
- 28:43>> Yeah. He's going to be in the tent and
- 28:45you have to find love within 6 months.
- 28:46>> Yeah. With an influencer from Firefest.
- 28:49>> Yeah. Yeah. You have to date every
- 28:51influencer from Firefest and he has to
- 28:52live in the tent
- 28:54>> Oh,
- 28:54>> with the hand. This is awesome.
- 28:56>> So, tell me about how you find new
- 28:58friends now. Is it harder to trust
- 29:00people to be in your life?
- 29:03>> Yeah, for sure. Um, I mean, I think it's
- 29:05hard for them to trust me, right? I
- 29:06think one of the things I I I realized
- 29:09too it's like people are every no one
- 29:11gives a [ __ ] about you, right? They're
- 29:12scared for themselves, right?
- 29:13>> So I think people most people aren't
- 29:16like concerned about what I may or may
- 29:18not say or do. It's like what will my
- 29:20boss think? What will my wife say? What
- 29:22will my parents say to me, right? People
- 29:23are always just concerned about their
- 29:24own. So I think once they really
- 29:26understood that, it's made it made it
- 29:27easier to to internalize. any of the
- 29:29investors like just lose everything
- 29:31because of this investment like lost
- 29:34their house, lost their families.
- 29:36>> I I don't think so and I really hope
- 29:38not. So
- 29:39>> yeah, that's uh that'd be what I'd be
- 29:42like, damn. Like if you convince like
- 29:43one of your homies who just took out all
- 29:45his savings, you know,
- 29:46>> like those Bitcoin rug pools.
- 29:47>> Yeah. Yeah.
- 29:49>> Most of the most of the investors were
- 29:52like professional venture investors. It
- 29:53doesn't make it right, but no, like it's
- 29:55>> So, what's what's it like going back
- 29:57into these venture capitalist meetings
- 29:59and say, "Hey, man, I'm the Firefest
- 30:00guy. I need some more capital." How are
- 30:03how have those meetings been for you in
- 30:05your um recent life?
- 30:07>> I I have a lot of restrictions on like
- 30:09what I can or can't do financially. I
- 30:11think ironically, if I if I didn't have
- 30:13restrictions, I could probably raise
- 30:14money easier now than ever.
- 30:16>> Really?
- 30:17>> How explain that? Like what like what
- 30:19restrictions do you have?
- 30:22I can't like sell securities is kind of
- 30:24like the one rule. So, you know, it I
- 30:27can't go be like, "Hey, for a million
- 30:28dollars, I'll give you 10% of my
- 30:30company." So, I can't like you can't
- 30:32raise traditional venture capital,
- 30:34>> right? So, how so what how do you what's
- 30:36your philosophy of how to raise capital
- 30:38then if you can't do that? I
- 30:40>> mean, I really can't it's got to earn
- 30:41it. So, doing a documentary, we did like
- 30:43a live stream for the festival. I do
- 30:45marketing work. I got to got to grind it
- 30:47out. So, not easy.
- 30:49>> Oh, man. What's How did the stream do?
- 30:51Did that make some dough?
- 30:54>> Uh I got paid for the rights for it, so
- 30:56you know. Okay. Different a different
- 30:58company owns it. Yeah. Sold the rights
- 31:00for the live stream documentary.
- 31:02>> So I know that uh Limewire bought the
- 31:04Firefest like brand last summer and you
- 31:06said last month on LinkedIn you're
- 31:08trying to buy it back. Is that because
- 31:09of that cultural capital that it comes
- 31:11with it or or what's the philosophy
- 31:13behind you trying to get it back? I
- 31:14think we had a so I think we had like
- 31:16when it was when it was me plus fire it
- 31:18was just too scary for most people to
- 31:19want to deal with and so I thought we
- 31:21had to like decouple it right we did our
- 31:24little event you know built some trust
- 31:25back on that through a couple other you
- 31:27know ventures so now I think
- 31:29>> it's such an important part of my life
- 31:30I'd love to have it back
- 31:32>> okay
- 31:34um in your heart of hearts
- 31:36>> so so for for $5 million for 5% No I'm
- 31:39just kidding you wrong guy we're in the
- 31:43jam scene We we basically we barely get
- 31:46per DMs at these. You might be hitting
- 31:47you up. Yeah, we might be hitting you up
- 31:49for money, you know.
- 31:51>> Um, you know, in your heart of hearts,
- 31:53um, you know, I say that very, um, do
- 31:58you think you're a con you're a con man
- 32:00or are a con man or were a con man now
- 32:04looking back of it or No,
- 32:06>> no, I think I was desperate and made
- 32:08some really bad decisions that I
- 32:10shouldn't have made. Yeah. Yeah. But
- 32:11yeah, so
- 32:12>> I I mean you were so young, dude. Like
- 32:14I'd be scared shitless to talk to these
- 32:16investors. When you see the festival,
- 32:18the thing you convinced them is losing.
- 32:20>> I mean, it must have been weird. I mean,
- 32:23>> I guarantee a lot of people would lie.
- 32:25>> Do you think you'd be the best car
- 32:26salesman of all time if you wanted to do
- 32:28that?
- 32:30>> I don't think so.
- 32:31>> No, I don't know. You kind of I think
- 32:32you could be a really good salesman.
- 32:34>> Sell a jet.
- 32:35>> You can sell a music festival. You can
- 32:37sell a Jetta. I mean, I'd see that. Who
- 32:40was Okay, so I couple more questions and
- 32:42we'll I would and we'll we'll close this
- 32:44up. But who was your target for
- 32:47Firefest? Who were like the people that
- 32:49you wanted what bands you wanted the
- 32:50most and you almost had them and didn't
- 32:53get them?
- 32:56>> This was obviously pre-meltdown number
- 32:58like 54, but I really wanted Kanye West.
- 33:01So we uh
- 33:03>> we um we had good music, which was his
- 33:05record label at the time, headlining
- 33:08>> and it was officially like five or six
- 33:10of the other acts, but there was always
- 33:12kind of hope and and anticipation he was
- 33:14going to come. So I thought that would
- 33:16be cool. Um I wanted Blink A2 until they
- 33:19lied and said they didn't get paid and
- 33:21canceled they got paid. So them
- 33:22>> hold on. They li What happened with
- 33:24them?
- 33:25>> They said they didn't get paid and they
- 33:27did. They got 500k and just kept it.
- 33:29>> Oh my god. Oh,
- 33:31>> very that's a hot goss.
- 33:32>> Interesting.
- 33:33>> That's hot goss.
- 33:35>> Oh, wow.
- 33:37>> How many people did that? How many bands
- 33:40took the money and said they didn't get
- 33:41paid?
- 33:43>> Um, every single band got paid. I think
- 33:45Blink2 was the only one that lied about
- 33:47it not getting paid, but they were all
- 33:49paid.
- 33:49>> You think they did it for marketing
- 33:51reasons?
- 33:52>> We already said
- 33:53>> they came out and said like, "Oh, our
- 33:55brand doesn't align with like rich kids
- 33:57on these yachts." Meanwhile, like Travis
- 33:59Barker had us chartering like a $200,000
- 34:01yacht for him to take him from Miami to
- 34:03>> Kardashian
- 34:06Kardashian.
- 34:07Lot of hot goss today. Lot of hot goss.
- 34:11>> We hate these yachts except that we
- 34:12require the nicest one for for our show.
- 34:15>> Interesting.
- 34:15>> Very interesting. When it's all said and
- 34:17done, what do you want to be remembered
- 34:19by?
- 34:22>> Not giving up. And hopefully that leads
- 34:24to a good outcome. Do you still believe
- 34:26in the American dream?
- 34:30>> That's a great question.
- 34:34I think I I grew up in like a really
- 34:35normal suburb, right? And I think I
- 34:37believed everything I was told about the
- 34:39world until I was like 24 or 25. Uh I
- 34:42was like super anti-conspiracy theory,
- 34:44like thought everything was as it
- 34:46appeared. And I'm starting to, you know,
- 34:48quickly flip to the opposite side. So,
- 34:52uh, the I I I was asking a a a
- 34:56politician here, and I'm not going to
- 34:57say who it was. I said, "Is it true the
- 34:59elections are actually rigged?" And he
- 35:00goes, "I don't know if the elections are
- 35:02rigged, but the country is rigged." And
- 35:03so, I makes sense.
- 35:05>> Are you going to go to your 25-y year
- 35:06high school reunion?
- 35:09>> Yeah, sure. Of course, why not? I don't
- 35:11even know when that is. That' be funny.
- 35:14>> Hey, [ __ ]
- 35:15>> HEY, IT'S BILL. WHAT'S UP? I'm still
- 35:18here, [ __ ] I'M THE MOST FAMOUS WAND.
- 35:20DOESN'T MATTER WHY I AM THE most famous.
- 35:23>> Doesn't matter why.
- 35:25>> This is America.
- 35:25>> This is America. Um, you ever like you
- 35:29ever meet old Trumper?
- 35:33>> What was that like?
- 35:35>> He was not the person I asked that
- 35:36question to, but um,
- 35:39>> what do you say? What do What did he say
- 35:41about this whole uh, debacle you're in?
- 35:44>> Uh, I'm not going to get into that, but
- 35:46we've met.
- 35:47>> All right. Respect. I like I like how uh
- 35:49>> he did get you a year off your prison
- 35:50term, didn't he?
- 35:52>> Me and a bunch of others because
- 35:53>> Yeah. Not you specifically, but he
- 35:54passed some law that Yeah. Yeah.
- 35:56>> He he he passed law to give first time
- 35:58non-violent people a year off. That was
- 36:00That was That was
- 36:00>> All right.
- 36:01>> What's your take about Jeffrey Epstein?
- 36:07>> I think he was killed. And I don't want
- 36:09to get hurt for saying that, but I think
- 36:10that's pretty obvious.
- 36:11>> I mean, that is the official narrative.
- 36:13>> That's the official nar.
- 36:13>> Well, not really, but it's turning into
- 36:15it kind of. I think it's be being in the
- 36:18same solitary wing that he was in. It's
- 36:20certainly very easy for someone to have
- 36:22that order.
- 36:23>> Hold on. You were in the same solitary
- 36:25confinement as him
- 36:27>> for a period of time. Yes. Like not when
- 36:29he was there, but a different period.
- 36:30>> The same facility though?
- 36:32>> The same facility?
- 36:33>> Oh wow. I didn't know that.
- 36:34>> Who else was in prison when you were in
- 36:36prison?
- 36:37>> Uh that place. Nobody interesting. I was
- 36:39at a like a white collar place for 6
- 36:42months with Michael Cohen, Trump's
- 36:44lawyer in the situation. So that was
- 36:45funny.
- 36:46>> Wow.
- 36:46>> You know, but then I got kicked out of
- 36:47there.
- 36:48>> What did you Why'd you get kicked out?
- 36:50>> I had a USB device, so I was trying to
- 36:52record a book and they didn't like that
- 36:54one either.
- 36:55>> You were just like a pill.
- 36:58>> You You're a cockroach. Bill, you're a
- 37:01bast, dude.
- 37:01>> I kind of think I would listen to a jail
- 37:03phone podcast to be honest,
- 37:04>> dude. That would rule. So, what happened
- 37:06when they found the USB? Okay, this is
- 37:08the last question. I promise. You are
- 37:09This is crazy. What was the last
- 37:11question? Like, what the is this, Bill?
- 37:14I'm going to I'm going to leave leave
- 37:15the viewers with this. I had a USB
- 37:17device. Very very clear against the
- 37:19rules. Not allowed to do it. I would for
- 37:22that I was sentenced to 3 months in
- 37:23solitary confinement and lost my phone
- 37:25privileges like afterwards for 45 days
- 37:28or something.
- 37:28>> Then I did the podcast. I did the
- 37:30podcast, broke no rules, was found not
- 37:33guilty, did seven months of solitary
- 37:35confinement, and couldn't call my family
- 37:37for two years. So when you break the
- 37:39rules, when I broke the rules, I got
- 37:41less time than when I didn't break the
- 37:42rules. that that
- 37:44>> maybe America is rigged. Maybe is
- 37:46America might be rigged, Bill.
- 37:48>> America. On that note, um the American
- 37:50dream is dead and and America
- 37:52>> is rigged.
- 37:54>> Bill, thanks for being honest. I really
- 37:55appreciate it, man. I can't wait to talk
- 37:57to uh
- 37:58>> um
- 37:58>> Jason.
- 37:59>> Jason, it's going to be fun. All right,
- 38:00bud. Thank you.
- 38:01>> Do you guys Do you guys have any shows
- 38:02in New York anytime soon?
- 38:04>> Yeah, we just played two nights at the
- 38:05Brooklyn Bowl and um Really?
- 38:07>> Yeah, we're doing uh we're doing we're
- 38:10doing a What are we doing? I'm doing the
- 38:11Beacon Theater with um the Almond
- 38:14Brother review and then I'm doing
- 38:16>> Oh, nice.
- 38:17>> Yeah, I'm coming a lot. I'll uh I'll
- 38:19message you on Insta.
- 38:21>> Let me know. I'll buy a ticket and come
- 38:22and come cheer.
- 38:23>> You're not buying tickets. It's on me,
- 38:24brother. I got you. You're already
- 38:25dealing with a lot. I'll put you on the
- 38:28guest list.
- 38:28>> Yeah, you can't come backstage, but
- 38:34>> All right, man. Have a great night,
- 38:35Bill. Thanks so much. And let me know
- 38:37when we uh when to get Jason in here.
- 38:39Yeah, later.
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