Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Rae Sremmurd and other musicians are accused of using the money they received from a pandemic payout on themselves, parties and other unrelated expenses.
A detailed report from The Business Insider alleges they applied for grants through the Shuttered Venue Operations Grant government program, intended to assist financially struggling, independent venues and arts groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. After making a good-faith statement to the Small Business Administration and proving their companies' revenue had fallen 25% or more between a quarter in 2019 and the same quarter in 2020, they received the grants for "ordinary and necessary" expenses — but chose to use the money for unrelated reasons.
Wayne, for example, used $1.3 million of the $8.9 million he received on private jets, with $460,000 going toward designer clothes, and almost $15,000 used on flights and luxury hotel rooms for women.
Brown was said to have received $10 million to assist his CBE Touring company — but instead used $5.1 million on himself, $80,000 on his 33rd birthday party and $24,000 to pay for "the cost of driving his tour bus from the US to Tulum, Mexico, and back in fall 2020 during a monthlong stay for him and his entourage in the resort town, where he did not perform," the publication reports, also detailing other expenses.
As for Rae Sremmurd, a good amount of the $7.7 million they received for their Sremm Touring went to members Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi.
Marshmello, Alice in Chains, Shinedown and other musicians were also accused of using the payout money on personal expenses.