Billy McFarland sells Fyre Festival brand for a paltry sum

In July 2025, Billy McFarland, a convicted fraudster known for organizing the failed Fyre Festival in 2017, sold the brand rights for Fyre Festival on eBay for a mere $245,300. This distressing sale occurred after a week-long auction that attracted 42 bidders placing a total of 175 bids. During the livestream event witnessing the auction, McFarland expressed his dismay at the final selling price, citing it as disappointingly low in his opinion. The buyer, whose identity remains undisclosed, acquired the intellectual property, brand trademarks, and all associated social media assets connected to the infamous festival. Earlier in the year, Fyre Festival 2, initially planned for late May in Mexico, was postponed indefinitely, with ticket holders being issued refunds due to the instability surrounding the event's revival. Billy McFarland first established Fyre Festival eight years prior, promoting it as a luxurious beach party where attendees would mingle with celebrities and enjoy beautiful Caribbean beaches. However, the event turned into chaos when headlining musical acts like Blink-182 canceled and attendees faced abysmal conditions such as inadequate accommodation in shabby tents and serving of poor-quality food. This disastrous outcome led to widespread media coverage, multiple documentaries, and ultimately, McFarland’s imprisonment on federal fraud charges, where he served four years of a six-year sentence. Despite being released, McFarland is still responsible for $26 million in restitution linked to the original festival's disaster. In April 2025, he publicly announced his intention to sell the Fyre Festival brand, emphasizing the transformative power of the brand and the need for a well-equipped operator to realize its potential in the entertainment, media, and fashion industries. McFarland framed this sale as a necessary step in fulfilling his original vision for the festival and ensuring its future growth under new leadership.