New York City in 2013 was a weird place to be a "founder."
You had this specific breed of 20-somethings roaming Soho, all of them chasing a vibe that didn't quite exist yet. In the middle of it all were two people who would eventually become the faces of a generation's skepticism. Billy McFarland and Anna Delvey. Most people think of them as separate entities—two different documentaries, two different flavors of fraud. But they actually lived together.
Well, "lived together" is a strong term. Anna basically scammed Billy into letting her squat in his office.
It's 2026 now. Billy is out of prison and somehow still convincing people to buy tickets to things. Anna is a reality TV veteran who just finished a stint on Dancing with the Stars while wearing a bejeweled ankle monitor. We’re obsessed with them. Why? Because they represent the ultimate "fake it 'til you make it" ethos gone nuclear.
The Soho Loft Where It All Started
Before the cheese sandwiches in the Bahamas and before the private jet "thefts," there was a loft on Wooster Street. This was the headquarters for Magnises, Billy McFarland’s first real attempt at a "luxury" empire. It was a black credit card for millennials that was mostly just a way for him to throw parties and feel important.
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Anna Sorokin—better known as Anna Delvey—showed up and asked to stay for a few days.
She stayed for four months.
Honestly, it’s the most Anna Delvey thing ever. She didn't pay rent. She just parked her Balenciaga bags in the corner and sat there. According to reports from people who were actually there, Billy was too "polite and non-confrontational" to kick her out. Imagine that. The man who would eventually scam investors out of millions was too shy to tell a fake German heiress to get off his couch.
Eventually, the Magnises team had to move the entire company to a new townhouse just to lose her. That was their "eviction" strategy. They literally changed buildings because they couldn't handle the social awkwardness of telling her to leave.
Why the connection matters today
It’s not just a fun piece of trivia. This crossover episode proves that the "scammer" ecosystem isn't a series of accidents. It’s a network. Billy and Anna were breathing the same rarefied air of "exclusive" clubs and "disruptive" foundations. They were both selling the same product: Access.
- Billy sold access to a lifestyle (Fyre Fest, luxury cards).
- Anna sold access to a person (herself).
Billy McFarland’s 2026 Redemption Arc (Or Lack Thereof)
If you thought prison would change Billy McFarland, you haven’t been paying attention. After serving four years for wire fraud, he hit the ground running. He still owes about $26 million in restitution. That’s a lot of money.
By early 2026, the saga of "Fyre Festival 2" has taken some truly bizarre turns. He’s been touting it for years. First, it was supposed to be on a private island. Then it was Playa del Carmen. In late 2025, he actually pulled off a small event called "PHNX" in Honduras.
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It wasn't a total disaster, which is the weirdest part.
French Montana and Bobby Shmurda actually showed up. A few hundred people were there. There were power outages, sure, and the livestream was a bit of a mess, but nobody was stranded in a FEMA tent eating a slice of processed cheese. For Billy, that’s a win. He’s leaning into the "I've learned my lesson" narrative while still using the exact same marketing tactics that got him in trouble in the first place.
"FYRE 2 really isn't about the past... It's about taking the vision, which is strong," Billy told NBC’s TODAY.
That "vision" is still a bit blurry. He’s pledged a percentage of profits to his victims, but $500,000 against a $26 million debt is a drop in the ocean.
Anna Delvey: From ICE Detention to the Ballroom
Anna is playing a different game. While Billy wants to be a mogul, Anna wants to be a brand.
She spent years in ICE custody after her prison sentence because she overstayed her visa. She’s a German citizen, but she’s been fighting deportation with the tenacity of a bored billionaire. Her house arrest in the East Village became a literal stage. She started a podcast. She hosted "Dinner Club" events.
Then came Dancing with the Stars in late 2024.
Seeing Anna Delvey dance to "Suddenly I See" with a court-ordered GPS tracker on her leg was the peak of 21st-century surrealism. She didn't last long—eliminated in the second episode—and her "What did you take away from this?" answer was a legendary "Nothing."
She doesn't care about being liked. She cares about being relevant. In 2025 and early 2026, she’s been a fixture at New York Fashion Week, sometimes modeling, sometimes just existing. Her ankle monitor has become her most famous accessory, often bedazzled to match her outfits.
What We Get Wrong About the "Scammer" Label
We love to lump them together, but they are fundamentally different people.
Billy is a hype man. He believes his own lies. When he says Fyre 2 is going to be the biggest event in the world, he probably thinks he can make it happen, right up until the moment the tents blow away. It’s a delusional kind of optimism.
Anna is a strategist. She knows exactly who she is. Her "scam" was built on the vanity of others. She didn't promise a music festival; she promised a foundation. She exploited the fact that rich people are terrified of looking uncool or questioning someone who looks like they belong.
The Real Cost of the Hype
It’s easy to laugh at the influencers who lost money, but the real victims were the people on the ground.
- The Bahamian laborers who weren't paid for months after the first Fyre Fest.
- The hotel staff in New York who Anna stiffed for thousands.
- The small-scale investors who put their life savings into Billy’s "vision."
Actionable Insights: How to Spot a "Fyre" in the Wild
If Billy McFarland and Anna Delvey taught us anything, it’s how to spot the red flags of a modern grift. Whether it’s a "disruptive" tech startup or a "once-in-a-lifetime" travel experience, the playbook is the same.
- Vague "Vision" Over Logistics: If they can tell you the "vibe" but can't tell you who is handling the plumbing or the permits, run. Billy’s first mistake was selling tickets before he had a site.
- The "Exclusive" Bait: Scammers use your FOMO against you. If a project relies heavily on "invited only" or "limited access" to justify a lack of transparency, be skeptical.
- Restitution vs. Profit: When someone like Billy says they are doing a project to pay back victims, look at the math. If the "payback" is a tiny fraction of the ticket price, the project is for them, not the victims.
- Aesthetic as Evidence: Anna proved that a Balenciaga bag and a confident tone can bypass a credit check. Never mistake "looking the part" for "having the funds."
The reality is that Billy McFarland and Anna Delvey will probably be in our news feeds for the next decade. They’ve realized that in the attention economy, "infamous" is just as profitable as "famous." As long as we keep clicking, they’ll keep selling.
To stay protected, always verify the third-party partners involved in high-stakes luxury events. Real businesses have established vendors, insurance, and local permits that are publicly searchable. If the only "proof" of an event's viability is a flashy Instagram reel or a founder's "vision," you're not an attendee—you're a mark.