The cash wristbands turned out to have been a means for McFarland to get some last-minute liquidity when his project was running low on money. The most iconic image posted from the event was not of sun-kissed models or white sands, but of a sad sandwich, in a clamshell takeout box. Two slices of bread, two slices of cheese, and a side salad with dressing. It went immediately viral—on Twitter. After an FBI investigation and a class-action lawsuit, McFarland was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison and forced to pay $26 million in restitution.
