Congress approved a bill called the Shuttered Venue Operator Grants in 2020, and Donald Trump signed it into law. The fund is designed to support artists and venues forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But it also ended funding for some very popular performers.
According to Business Insider, big-name artists like Chris Brown, Alice in Chains, and Lil Wayne misused the funds, making millions and then spending them lavishly.
Lil Wayne received an $8.9 million taxpayer-funded grant from the said fund, and he “spent more than $1.3 million of the grant money on private jet flights and spent more than $460,000 on clothing and accessories, many of which came from High-end brands like Gucci” Balenciaga. The A-list rapper also reportedly spent $175,000 of the money on “music festivals promoting his cannabis brand GKUA” and used the grant money to provide “airfare and travel expenses to women with unknown ties to Lil Wayne’s touring business.” Luxury hotel room, including Hooters restaurant waitresses and porn actresses.
Lil Wayne was also accused of taking $88,000 in taxpayer money to hold a concert in Coachella, California that he never attended. When Business Insider contacted him via text message, Wynn responded that he “made sexually explicit innuendos to reporters but did not answer questions.”
According to Business Insider, management firm NKSFB’s clients received at least $207 million in grant funds, while the firm itself took away $7 million. The article details their spending using written records they left behind. For example, Chris Brown appears to have received $5.1 million and his travel company received $10 million. In addition, he received $80,000 to celebrate his birthday in a lavish way. Marshmello reportedly earned more than any other musician – nearly $10 million.
This article details how musicians such as Steve Aoki, Rae Sremmurd and Shinedown are funded. It claims members of Alice In Chains were paid $3.4 million, including a detail that’s sure to upset some: “Scott Dachroeden is a guitar technician and touring photographer. , who had been with the band for many years, was diagnosed with cancer in late 2022. Dachroden has now passed away, and sources told Business Insider that the band didn’t help him much financially.
