NOTE: VIDEO AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE.
A high-profile fundraiser that promised hope and relief to wildfire victims in California has now come under fire itself. The event, a celebrity-backed benefit concert called FireAid, raised an astonishing $100 million in January 2025 following devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles region. But six months later, not a single victim has received direct financial assistance.
FireAid was heavily promoted by California Democrat officials and major Hollywood names as a powerful response to the crisis, with bold promises to support those who lost their homes, property, and livelihoods. However, as time passed, victims began to question where the money had gone—and why none of it had reached them.
Investigative journalist Sue Pascoe of Circling the News began probing the issue and discovered that the funds were being managed not by local recovery teams, but by the Annenberg Foundation, a philanthropic organization headquartered on the East Coast. According to her findings, the money had been diverted to various nonprofit organizations, many of which had no direct involvement in wildfire recovery efforts.
Pascoe sent inquiries to the foundation asking for transparency—specifically, how much of the money was designated for the hardest-hit communities like Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Topanga Canyon, and which nonprofits were receiving the funds. She received no written reply and was unable to reach anyone through the foundation’s phone extensions.
Eventually, Pascoe did connect with Chris Wallace, the Annenberg Foundation’s chief communications officer. His response stunned many: the funds, he confirmed, were not intended for direct distribution to victims. Instead, they were earmarked for a preselected list of nonprofits associated with the foundation. No community input, no public accounting, and no guarantee that any wildfire victim would benefit from the donations raised in their name.
Independent journalist James Li echoed the outrage, stating on X (formerly Twitter):
“This ‘benefit concert’ might be one of the biggest scams in disaster fundraising history.”
To date, the Annenberg Foundation has not released a full breakdown of how the $100 million was spent or which organizations received funding. The absence of clear records, combined with a lack of results on the ground, has triggered public backlash and calls for accountability.
The situation has also placed renewed scrutiny on California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, both of whom supported the FireAid initiative. Neither has issued a public statement regarding the controversy or the missing funds.
The frustration among residents is further amplified by reports of emergency preparedness failures during the fires themselves. In some neighborhoods, fire hydrants were reportedly dry or inoperable—conditions that hampered emergency response teams during critical moments.
Now, victims and watchdogs alike are demanding answers. Calls are growing for an independent audit of the FireAid program and a formal investigation into how such a massive sum could be raised without delivering aid to those who needed it most.
With no timeline for resolution and no money in the hands of victims, the $100 million fundraiser that once inspired hope is quickly becoming a symbol of mismanagement, broken promises, and the growing disconnect between public fundraising efforts and the people they’re meant to serve.
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