As countless artists struggle and suffer, stars like Lil Wayne, Chris Brown and Marshmello have misused millions of taxpayer dollars provided by the government for COVID-19 relief for their own purposes, according to the documents reviewed by Business insiders.
Details from BI investigation found multiple musicians allegedly took advantage of the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program (SVOG), a program signed into law in 2020 to support independent venues struggling and struggling artists, in order to fund their already lavish lifestyles. A huge loophole has allowed millionaire musicians to get their hands on money meant for struggling artists, allocating their millions to throw lavish parties, buy designer pieces and fly private.
One of the exposed stars includes rapper Lil Wayne, who is said to have received $8.9 million in sponsorship from SVOG. The money is said to have been used for a variety of luxury purchases, including private jet travel and purchases from high-end brands such as Balenciaga and Gucci. Thousands of people have also accommodated different women while traveling, sponsoring flights and luxury hotel rooms.
R&B superstar Chris Brown personally received a huge sum of $5.1 million. A lavish 33rd birthday party cost $80,000, spent on “atmosphere modeling”, an LED dance floor, bottle service, hookah and “nitrogen ice cream” among other purchases buy another.
Other artists, including Steve Aioki and members of Alice in Chains, were also accused of misusing federal resources. Producer and DJ Marshmello is said to have received $9.9 million in funding, all of which he gave himself.
Many of these artists charged taxpayers for performances that never even took place. In fact, Lil Wayne scored just under $88,000 for expenses related to a concert he never performed (scheduled to take place on New Year’s Eve 2021 in California).
With Business insiders condensing this information for the public to know, it could very well lead to consequences for musicians. Currently, no artist has responded to the accusations. According to Business insidersLil Wayne was contacted by text message and made an obscene proposition to a reporter but did not respond to questions.
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