Billy McFarland's Biography

Billy McFarland is an American entrepreneur and TV personality best known for co-founding the notorious Fyre Festival, one of the biggest event scandals of the decade. Born on December 11, 1991, McFarland grew up in New Jersey and briefly attended Bucknell University before dropping out to pursue business ventures. He first made headlines with Magnises, a social club and credit card startup targeting millennials. However, it was the Fyre Festival in 2017 that catapulted him into infamy. Marketed as a luxury music festival in the Bahamas, the event was a disaster, leading to widespread backlash, lawsuits, and McFarland's conviction for wire fraud. He served several years in federal prison and was ordered to pay millions in restitution. Despite his controversial past, McFarland has attempted to rebuild his public image through media appearances and new ventures like PYRT. His story has been featured in popular documentaries on Netflix and Hulu, solidifying his status as a pop culture figure. Known for his ambitious—if ill-fated—ideas, Billy McFarland remains a cautionary tale about the risks of startup culture and influencer marketing.