Wyclef Jean, the Haitian-born hip-hop producer and political activist, is facing a wave of criticism in the wake of his charity organization, Yéle, misappropriating nearly $16 million in donations.
According to the New York Times, a closer examination of Mr Jean’s charity revealed that millions of dollars raised for earthquake victims in Haiti was instead used for Yéle’s $600,000 headquarters, employee salaries, consultants’ fees, travel expenses, materials for homes that were never built, and for accountants dealing with the charity’s legal troubles.
A forensic audit examining Yéle’s financial situation found over $250,000 of the charity’s $3 million raised from 2005 to 2009 helped fund illegitimate benefits for Mr Jean and other Yéle board and staff members; from $24,000 for Mr. Jean’s chauffeur services to $30,000 for a private jet that transported actress Lindsay Lohan to a benefit that only raised $66,000.
Before the earthquake, Yéle’s assets were measured at a meager $37,000. Following the devastation, Mr Jean was able to successfully raise $1 million in 24 hours using Twitter and other social media networks. Yéle also benefited alongside the assistance of more reputable organizations like Unicef.
However, two years ago, Yéle squandered $9 million in salaries, consultants’ fees, travel expenses, and costs related to building their offices and warehouse. In comparison to a similar celebrity charitable organization, Sean Penn’s J/P Haitian Relief Organisation spent only $130,000 on the same expenses. Yéle also spent $375,000 for “landscaping”, $37,000 for rent at Mr. Jean’s Manhattan recording studio, and $470,440 on its own food and beverages.
Yéle, which is a word coined by Mr. Jean to mean “cry for freedom”, was founded in 2004.
