Every year, California’s coastline transforms into a millionaire’s playground when Monterey Car Week comes around. Bugattis can be spotted driving down the street, with Paganis casually parked outside of cafes. It’s a gearhead’s paradise, but it’s also where automotive brands throw exclusive parties to woo potential customers. The formula for winning the game is simple. Rent a stunning location, invite wealthy potential customers, pour lots of expensive champagne, and hope someone writes a check for a multimillion-dollar car. Unfortunately for McLaren this year, they’re being sued for nearly a million dollars instead.
McLaren and event organizer BMF Media allegedly threw a weeklong party at OpenAI executive Fidji Simo’s lavish property in Carmel Valley, but without first getting the necessary permits from Monterey County. As a result, the County slapped Simo, the house owner, with $762,000 in fines. And because of county regulations, Simo had to pay the entire amount upfront before she could even appeal. Simo is now suing McLaren and BMF Media for damages, restitution, and legal fees. All in, it should amount to nearly a million dollars.
While County officials showed up at the property when the weeklong party had just begun, they initially slapped BMF Media with a $505,000 fine. Of course, it all hit the fan afterwards, with that fine ballooning. In case you were wondering, Fidji Simo is OpenAI’s CEO of Applications. She owns a gorgeous French country chateau in Carmel Valley worth an estimated $7 million. The property boasts sweeping views, and crucially, it’s only 25 minutes from all the Monterey Car Week action.
The lawsuit claims the organizers told Simo’s property manager the permit issue was “resolved” while conveniently forgetting to mention the massive citation or the fact that proper permissions were never obtained. According to her legal team, they allegedly hid the problem because shutting down a weeklong McLaren event mid-party would have been bad for business. The lawsuit brings nine claims against McLaren and BMF Media, including fraud.
It’s essentially the luxury version of teenagers throwing a rager while their parents are away, except instead of replacing a broken lamp or two, you’re stuck with a three-quarter-million-dollar cleanup bill and lawyers fees.
