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Transcript Summary: Zachary, Isaiah, Russ (2025-06-09)

Key Topics​

  • Venture Brainstorming: Zachary Smith's detailed, provocative idea to host the Fyre Festival on Epstein's Island.
  • Media & Politics: Zachary's unique role as a media connector bridging Democratic politicians with Republican podcasts.
  • Career & Location Updates: Isaiah McCall's move to Las Vegas and his background as a writer for major YouTube channels.
  • Austin Social Scene: A critique of Austin's high-end social/event scene and its "distractions."
  • Community & Culture: Russ Ballard's "Minister of Vibes" concept for the city of Austin.

Detailed Summary​

1. The "Fyre Festival on Epstein's Island" Venture​

The conversation was dominated by a wild and detailed venture idea from Zachary Smith, sparked by two recent developments he has access to:

  1. Fyre Festival IP: Billy McFarland is selling the intellectual property for Fyre Festival, free of its original debt, with an asking price of $10M.
  2. Epstein's Island: The island was purchased for $60M by Black Diamond Capital, a firm with allegedly $1B in undeployed capital.

The Idea: To combine these two notorious brands and host Fyre Festival on Epstein's Island.

  • Marketing & Brand: The concept is built on generating massive, free media attention.

Zachary Smith: "The media budget is zero dollars. You sell out the 50 million from just how fucking insane it is."

  • Financials:

    • Raise: $50-60M from investors to guarantee liquidity upfront.
    • Revenue: Sell 10,000 tickets at $5,000/each for $50M, plus $10M from "risk asset" sponsors (Liquid Death, Zinnia).
    • Goal: Break even in year one, then become highly profitable.

  • Thematic Core: Zachary's vision is to reframe the event not as a dark, "kink fetish thing" but as a festival of rebirth.

Zachary Smith: "A festival that's about celebrating, letting the evil of the past go and having this new birth and this new life happen is like a really compelling thing... Britney Spears was a perfect example of that, right? Like she had this conservative shit and like a festival that celebrates like letting go of the past. He's like fucking cool."

  • Proposed Lineup & Experience:

    • Headliners: Joe Rogan ($500k fee) and Britney Spears.
    • Surprise Guest: Alex Jones ($50k fee).
    • Satirical Experiences: A pop-up of Mischief's "Eat the Rich" popsicles and burning effigies of Billy McFarland and Ghislaine Maxwell.

  • Status: Zachary is seriously exploring it and asked Gary for a connection to Billy McFarland's more reliable right-hand man.

2. Zachary Smith: The Cross-Partisan Media Whisperer​

Beyond the festival idea, Zachary revealed a unique niche he's developed in the media world.

  • The Role: He has become the go-to person for Democratic congressmen who want to appear on Republican podcasts.

Zachary Smith: "A bunch of Democratic congressmen have gotten my phone number. I'm starting to blow up my phone if they want to be on a Republican podcast... in Congress, people are very protective of their relationships to news entities, but extraordinarily so if it's to someone outside their party."

  • The Need: He explained that political teams are completely siloed and have no insight into the media landscape of the opposing party, making it nearly impossible for them to get booked. He provides the access, vetting, and prep.

3. Isaiah McCall's New Chapter in Las Vegas​

Isaiah, who recently left Denver, shared updates on his background and new location.

  • Move to Vegas: He's been in Las Vegas for a week and is enjoying the energy, a stark contrast to his experience in Denver.
  • YouTube Ghostwriter: He revealed his background as a ghostwriter for major "faceless" YouTube documentary channels, including the popular creator Jake Tran. He wrote 10,000-word scripts for these videos.
  • Current Work: He is now doing on-camera and writing work in the crypto space.

4. Austin's Culture & Social Scene​

The conversation touched on the dynamics of Austin's venture, social, and art scenes.

  • Capital & Distractions: The group discussed how Austin has money but it can be hard to access. Zachary noted that the city also generates an "extraordinary amount of distraction," with the Fyre/Epstein idea being a perfect example.
  • Critique of High-End Events: Zachary recounted a negative experience with the exclusive Four Seasons Residence boat club, where he brought a high-net-worth individual for a tour that lacked basic hospitality (no food, water) and was disappointingly brief. This highlighted his high standards for curated experiences.
  • Art Market Paradox: Zachary pointed out that Austin has the smallest art market per capita of any major Texas city, partly because high-caliber comedy and art are available for very cheap (e.g., backyard comedy shows with Netflix-level talent for $25), which "fucks up the economics of art in Austin."

5. Other Key Points & Next Steps​

  • Gary's Update: Gary briefly mentioned his work as chief of staff for Lael Alexander in Tulsa and the plan to build a city, which could pilot technologies for NASA's moon city project.
  • Russ Ballard's Initiative: Russ is planning to pitch the city of Austin on creating an official "Minister of Vibes" position. He was also planning to film content at an ICE protest later that day.
  • Action Item: Zachary asked Gary to connect him with the right person to discuss the Fyre Festival IP sale seriously.