ELIZABETH: WELL, IT’S BEEN A BIG
WEEK FOR CELEBRITY-BACKED
SCAMMERS, BUT SAM BANKMAN FRIED
WASN’T THE FIRST TO GO STEALING
WITH THE STARS.
REMEMBER FYRE FEST, LUXURY MUSIC
FESTIVAL PROMOTED BY KENDALL
JENNER THAT WAS DOOMED BEFORE IT
STARTED?
THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT
DEBACLE IS NOW OUT OF PRISON AND
LAUNCHING A BRAND NEW BUSINESS
VENTURE.
HERE TO TELL ME ALL ABOUT THE
LAUNCH OF PIRATE, IT’S FYRE
FESTIVAL FOUNDER BILLY
McFARLAND.
HOW’S IT GOING?
IS IT HARD TO WALK AROUND WITH
THE ANKLE SHACKLES?
>> IT’S SO CRAZY TO BE THE HERE
AND LOOK OUT OVER NEW YORK.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
KENNEDY: WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
>> I WAS SO STUPID AND SO WRONG,
AND IF I COULD HAVE 30 SECONDS
TO TELL YOU WHAT I THOUGHT, WHAT
I THOUGHT IS THE KEY WORD, THAT
I WAS TRYING TO DO, WAS THAT FOR
YEARS BEFORE FYRE I WAS TAKING
CUSTOMERS FROM MY PREVIOUS
BUSINESS, THE OUTER ISLANDS OF
THE BAHAMAS, THESE WERE AN
TRY-DIVERSE GROUP WHO HAD SOME,
YOU KNOW, PRETENSE ABOUT THEM IN
THE NEW YORK, AND WE CAME TO
THESE OUTER ISLANDS AND REALLY
CONNECTED OVER ADVENTURE.
THE BONDS THAT WERE FORMED WERE
SO INCREDIBLE, AND I WAS JUST SO
DRIVEN TO SHARE WHAT WAS
HAPPENING IN THE WORLD.
AND PART OF IT WAS WAS TO BRAG
TO MY FRIENDS.
LOOK, YOU’LL NEVER BELIEVE
WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE, BUT I WAS
REALLY DRIVEN BY THIS DESIRE TO
SHARE, AND THAT A LED TO THE
TERRIBLE IDEA OF TRYING TO
INVITE A FEW THOUSAND PEOPLE.
KENNEDY: YEAH.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE RELIVED THAT
ON NETFLIX -- I DIDN’T WATCH THE
HULU ONE --
>> GOOD.
[LAUGHTER]
KENNEDY: I WATCHED THE NETFLIX
ONE.
WHO DO PEOPLE IN THE BAHAMAS
HATE MORE, YOU OR SAM
BANKMAN-FRIED?
>> OH, MAN.
LOVE IT WILL SO MUCH AND --
KENNEDY: THEY DON’T LOVE YOU.
>> NO.
KENNEDY: CHESTER COOPER, WHO’S,
LIKE, IN CHARGE OF THE ROYAL
MINISTRY OF SHOVING PEOPLE IN
PRISON, HE SAID THAT YOU’RE NOT
INVITED, I’M SORRY TO TELL YOU.
>> YEAH.
I THINK THE REALITY IS THAT
PEOPLE ARE OWED THERE FOR WORK
LEADING UP TO THE FESTIVAL X
THEY NEEDED TO GET PAID --
KENNEDY: DO YOU FEEL BAD LYING
TO THEM?
>> SO BAD.
I WISH I HAD A STASH OF CASH
SOMEWHERE, I COULD SEND THE
MONEY TOMORROW, BUT I NEED TO
WORK, AND I NEED TO MAKE IT
HAPPEN, AND THAT IS THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING -- THE.
KENNEDY: YES, YOU OWE $26,000 IN
RESTITUTION.
THAT’S A LOT OF MONEY.
I REALLY LIKED INVENTING ANN A
THAT, I THOUGHT THEY DID A GREAT
JOCK OF DRAMATIZING HER STORY --
ANNA.
THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT HER
THAT WAS SO COMPELLING.
I DON’T KNOW THAT YOU SHARE THE
SAME QUALITIES NECESSARILY, BUT
I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY
INTERESTING IN THAT THE SORT OF,
YOU KNOW, DRAMATIZED VERSION OF
HER STORY YOU POPPED UP, AND SHE
SLEPT ON YOUR COUCH.
WERE YOU GUYS FRIENDS?
>> I’M SO BEHIND IN ALL THE
STREAMING TV FOR OBVIOUS REASONS
KENNEDY: WERE YOU FRIENDS WITH
ANNA DELVEYSOME.
>> SHE SLEPT AT THE TOWNHOUSE,
SHE KEPT CONVINCING ME TO BUY
HER THINGS FOR DINNER.
KENNEDY: WHAT ELSE DID YOU BUY
HER?
CELINE GLASSES --
>> COULDN’T AFFORD IT.
KENNEDY: JUST GIVE HER CREDIT
CARDS CAN BE.
>> SHE GOT FREE CASH FOR A
NUMBER OF MONTHS, SO SHE WON.
KENNEDY: IT WAS SO FUNNY
WATCHING YOU POP UP, BECAUSE IT
ALMOST SEEMS LIKE A GENERATIONAL
THING.
LIKE, THERE’S A SERIES OF YOU,
AND I WOULD INCLUDE SBF AND ANNA
DELVEY AND ELIZABETH HOLMES AND
YOU.
YOU GUYS HAVE THESE, LIKE,
MASSIVE ASPIRATIONS, BUT I DON’T
KNOW IF YOU WITH HAVE THE TALENT
TO MEET THE AMBITION, SO YOU
JUST SORT OF FUDGE EVERYTHING
ELSE.
IS THAT A FAIR ASSESSMENT?
>> I THINK WHAT WENT WRONG WITH
ME IS I GOT AWAY FROM WHAT TOOK
ME TO FYRE, AND THAT WAS
TECHNOLOGY.
I’VE BEEN PROGRAMMING SINCE I
WAS 11 YEARS OLD, KEPT USING
TECH TO PUSH BOUND ARELIES, AND
IT INTRODUCED ME TO THIS WILD
WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT AND
POSITIONER WHERE I CAME FROM.
KENNEDY: YOU’RE STILL GOING
THERE WITH PIRATE.
DO YOU WORRY WITH THE SCRUTINY
THAT YOU HAVE OF BEING ON
FEDERAL PROBATION THAT YOU’RE
NOT BOEING TO HAVE A -- GOING TO
HAVE A FAIR LAUNCH LIKE YOU
WOULD LIKE IF YOU HAD A CLEAN
SLATE?
>> I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
HOPE I COULD CRAWL INTO A HOLE
AND ESSENTIALLY DIE, BUT I NEED
TO FIND PRIDE, AND THAT’S THIS
LIFELONG JOURNEY OF TRYING TO
MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT AND
PAYING PEOPLE BACK.
KENNEDY: WOULD YOU TRADE PLACES
WITH SAMBACKMAN FRIED IN -- SAM
BANKMAN-FRIED IN THE BAHAMAS?
>> NO, I WOULD NOT TRADE PLACES.
KENNEDY: DO YOU THINK HE’LL GET
OUT?
>> I JUST KNOW THE MOUNTAIN I
HAVE IN FRONT OF ME --
KENNEDY: WHO DESERVES TO SPEND
MORE TIME BEHIND BARS, YOU OR
SBF?
>> I JUST DON’T KNOW THE DETAILS
OF HIS CRIME, SO, YEAH.
KENNEDY: I MEAN, WHAT’S FAST A
MATING TO ME IS THAT I KNOW HOW
BEAUTIFUL THE BAHAMAS IS.
OR ARE, I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU SAY
THAT.
>> AND THEY’RE GETTING A BAD RAP
RIGHT NOW.
KENNEDY: I LOVE THE BAHAMAS.
AND I UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE
WOULD WANT TO GO WILL AND BE
SUCCESSFUL WILL -- GO THERE.
I TOTALLY GET IT, BUT I ALSO
THINK THEY WANT TO, LIKE,
RECOVER THEIR REPUTATIONS, AS WE
ALL DO.
YOU HAVE MADE A POINT, YOU HAVE
SERVED YOUR TIME, YOU HAVE PAID
YOUR PEP NANCE. -- PENANCE.
DO YOU DESERVE TO HAVE A FRESH
START?
>> I THINK IT ALL GOES BACK TO
WHAT I DO IN THE NEXT 3, 5, 7,
10 YEARS.
I’M LUCKY ENOUGH THAT I’M 30, SO
I HOPEFULLY HAVE 30 MORE WORKING
YEARS AHEAD OF ME --
KENNEDY: I HOPE SO.
>> LET ME GO OUT AND TRY THE IT,
AND I’D RATHER GO TRY HONESTLY
THAN GIVE UP.
KENNEDY: THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING
ALL OF MY QUESTIONS.
>> THANKS, KENNEDY.
KENNEDY: YES.
IT’S A FAST MATING STORY AND,