Celebrities Allegedly Misused COVID Relief Funds for Luxury Expenses

High-profile musicians including Lil Wayne and Chris Brown reportedly spent taxpayer-funded pandemic grants on personal indulgences, raising concerns about oversight.

The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG), signed into law in 2020, was intended to support struggling arts organizations and venues during the pandemic.
Lil Wayne reportedly received $8.9 million and spent over $1.3 million on private jets, $460,000 on designer clothing, and $175,000 on a marijuana festival, among other personal expenses.
Chris Brown allegedly used $10 million in grant money, including $5.1 million as personal income and $80,000 for a lavish birthday party with luxury features such as nude painted models and nitrogen ice cream.
Other artists, including Marshmello, Alice in Chains, and Steve Aoki, also reportedly used significant portions of their grants for personal or non-essential expenses, raising ethical concerns.
Critics, including lawmakers, have called the misuse of funds an abuse of taxpayer money, citing lax oversight in the grant approval and monitoring process by the Small Business Administration.