Questions are swirling about a campaign on billboards and taxi cabs across New York City asking for donations to help Los Angeles wildfire victims. It turns out that the ads direct people to donate to a private company belonging to an LA-based Instagram influencer instead of one of the other well-known causes.
A photo taken by The City shows a six-sided billboard cube under the famous Coca-Cola ad at West 47th and Broadway Streets. The cube promotes a donation link with the words “Los Angeles is on fire. We need your help.”
Point phone camera here
The link takes you to Lineo, the newly launched company of 27-year-old Alec Celestin. He describes himself as an “entertainment and tech disruptor, as well as a “mini Elon,” referring to Elon Musk.
His website says the Lineo Rescue Fund is a way to “act when others can’t.” The website mentions his team has gone to LA’s fire danger zones where help is limited.
The site also claims that “every dollar contributes to making an impact” in various ways, including supplies, rebuilding communities and environmental recovery.
The fund’s site claims they have raised more than $280,000. Nearly $270,000 came from Celestin himself, as seen in the donations list.
Celestin’s business ventures have included creating and launching a canned cocktail with fellow influencer Bryce Hall. They’ve also worked with Fanfix, a platform for creators to post paid content for their subscribers.
He’s currently working at a similar company called Passes.
Fanfix sued Celestin, accusing him of stealing internal financial metrics and sharing them with Passes. That court case is still pending.
Celestin told The City he never stole confidential information from the company. Meanwhile, relief efforts are ramping up in response to the LA wildfire destruction. And law enforcement officials are warning people to look out for potential scams.
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Celestin has not been accused of any wrongdoing or charged with a crime related to his fundraising campaign.
However, New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office confirmed to The City that it is aware of Celestin’s effort and is looking into it.
The Office of the Attorney General of California sent Lineo a notice to register as a charity as required by California state laws.
[Lauren Taylor]
QUESTIONS ARE SWIRLING ABOUT A CAMPAIGN ON BILLBOARDS AND TAXI CABS ACROSS NEW YORK CITY ASKING FOR DONATIONS TO HELP LOS ANGELES WILDFIRE VICTIMS.
IT TURNS OUT … THE ADS DIRECT PEOPLE TO DONATE TO A PRIVATE COMPANY BELONGING TO AN L-A BASED INSTAGRAM INFLUENCER … INSTEAD OF ONE OF THE OTHER WELL-KNOWN CAUSES.
A PHOTO TAKEN BY “THE CITY” NEWS OUTLET … SHOWS A SIX-SIDED BILLBOARD CUBE UNDER THE FAMOUS COCA-COLA AD AT WEST 47TH AND BROADWAY … PROMOTING A DONATION LINK … WITH THE WORDS … “LOS ANGELES IS ON FIRE. WE NEED YOUR HELP.”
THE LINK TAKES YOU TO “LINEO” … THE NEWLY LAUNCHED COMPANY OF 27 YEAR OLD ALEC CELESTIN WHO DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS AN “ENTERTAINMENT AND TECH DISRUPTOR, AS WELL AS A “MINI ELON” … REFERRING TO ELON MUSK.
HIS WEBSITE SAYS THE “LINEO RESCUE FUND” IS A WAY TO QUOTE “ACT WHEN OTHERS CAN’T” AND MENTIONS HIS TEAM HAS GONE TO L-A’S FIRE DANGER ZONES WHERE HELP IS LIMITED.
THE SITE ALSO CLAIMS “EVERY DOLLAR CONTRIBUTES TO MAKING AN IMPACT” IN VARIOUS WAYS INCLUDING SUPPLIES, REBUILDING COMMUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL RECOVERY.”
THE FUND’S SITE CLAIMS MORE THAN 280-THOUSAND DOLLARS HAS BEEN RAISED WITH NEARLY 270-THOUSAND OF THAT COMING FROM CELESTIN HIMSELF, WHICH IS SEEN IN THE DONATIONS LIST.
CELESTIN’S BUSINESS VENTURES HAVE INCLUDED CREATING AND LAUNCHING A CANNED COCKTAIL WITH FELLOW INFLUENCER, BRYCE HALL AND WORKING AT FANFIX WHICH IS A PLATFORM FOR CREATORS TO POST PAID CONTENT FOR THEIR SUBSCRIBERS.
HE’S CURRENTLY WORKING AT A SIMILAR COMPANY CALLED “PASSES.”
FANFIX ENDED UP SUING CELESTIN ACCUSING HIM OF STEALING INTERNAL FINANCIAL METRICS AND SHARING THEM WITH PASSES.
THAT COURT CASE IS STILL PENDING.
CELESTIN TOLD “THE CITY” HE NEVER STOLE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION FROM THE COMPANY.
MEANWHILE, AS RELIEF EFFORTS RAMP UP IN RESPONSE TO THE L-A WILDFIRE DESTRUCTION, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ARE WARNING PEOPLE TO LOOK OUT FOR POTENTIAL SCAMS.
CELESTIN HAS NOT BEEN ACCUSED OF ANY WRONGDOING OR CHARGED WITH A CRIME RELATED TO HIS FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN.
BUT NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES’S OFFICE CONFIRMED TO “THE CITY” THAT IT IS AWARE OF CELESTIN’S EFFORT AND IS LOOKING INTO IT.
THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CALIFORNIA SENT LINEO A NOTICE TO REGISTER AS A CHARITY AS REQUIRED BY CALIFORNIA STATE LAWS.
FOR SAN – I’M LAUREN TAYLOR .. FOR ALL YOUR LATEST NEWS HEADLINES – DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY.
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